A Shadow's Touch
by A-Marlene-S
Summary: What would have happened if a certain Uzumaki made friends with a certain Nara. Someone that had stuck by him, even when times got troublesome. This Nara showed everyone that he is not your typical Nara. Let's see how one Shikamaru Nara helps out his friend without completely breaking his non-troublesome persona.
1. Chapter 1

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

It's rather easy to point out a typical Nara male. They appear to be lazy, unmotivated, weak, passive towards women (especially the domineering ones), and always muttering their typical catchphrase 'What a drag,' or more commonly, 'Troublesome.' Those would be the first characteristics that anyone would point out to you, and if you were a foreigner, their wise words would be the first things to come to mind upon seeing one.

Those are the first things that come to mind when seeing them, but what many know of—though they ignore it until they're in Death's chokehold—is their massive intellect and a unique set of ninjutsu for manipulating shadows to their will. Obviously, it's an easy thing to forget, given their reputation for laziness and lack of motivation to accomplish anything.

Money, power, recognition, and other typical motivators are all lost on them, but the number one thing that everyone should avoid doing to a Nara ever is hurting someone whom they hold dearly, for then, they devise a plan to annihilate anyone and everyone who stands in their way to their ultimate goal- protection.

The moment a Nara sets their sights on something to protect, Death's chokehold is a hard thing to escape.

-.-

"Your son holds such promise, Nara-sama."

Shikaku sat in front of his son's teacher with a bored expression. He discreetly glanced down at his son, Shikamaru, sitting in a seat next to him and trying to imitate his expression. If they were alone, he would've laughed and teased his son for his attempt at imitating his father.

"…with this progress, young Shikamaru should be able to graduate in less than a year." the teacher finished with a wide smile.

"Go wait outside, Shikamaru." Shikaku said in a deceptively breezy tone.

Shikamaru's eyes snapped open from his imitation of boredom, surprised at the sudden interruption before he quickly ran out of the teacher's office as if his mother had just threatened to take away his dessert. The teacher blinked in surprise at the young Nara's reaction and looked askance at Shikaku for an answer.

Shikaku sat still, mentally counting down in his head. The teacher could sense that Shikaku was stalling, but he couldn't tell if it were to calm himself down or if he was just biding for time.

"Listen…" Shikaku began.

-.-

"I just don't get why they hate me so much." Naruto muttered under his breath as he pushed himself back and forth on the wooden swing that was attached to the tree in front of the Academy. "Why does everyone hate me?"

"Not everyone hates you—I just find you rather annoying."

Naruto's head snapped up towards the newcomer, confused expression in place, which quickly turned into annoyance. It was none other than Nara Shikamaru, the Academy instructors' new rising star and unclaimed prodigy of their class. The kid was a freaking genius, both on paper and in a fight… As well as the only kid who ever stood up for him.

"I know~" Naruto chirped, grinning at the young Nara to hide his discomfort.

Shikamaru grimaced. "You should stop smiling when you don't mean it. Everybody's just going to keep calling you stupid for that, and then I'd have to keep getting you out of those fights, which is just plain troublesome."

Immediately, Naruto's expression turned downcast. "Thanks for sticking up for me today."

Shikamaru shrugged as he sat down to lean against the tree trunk and shaking leaves from the branches. Next, to Shikamaru, Naruto got a leaf in his mouth, and he spluttered, disgusted at the taste of the leaf.

"You're annoying, but that doesn't mean that others can treat you like that even if you are wrong…a lot of the time."

"So says you, Mr. Know-It-All!" Naruto snorted.

"And don't you forget it." Shikamaru chimed back.

Naruto stayed quiet. Shikamaru appreciated the silence, but at the same time, it bothered him. He always had something to say, no matter how useless and mundane it was.

"Everybody's saying that you're strong enough to graduate in less than a year." Naruto whispered as he stopped swinging to stare down at Shikamaru.

"It's just a bunch of troublesome teachers who want to get rid of me." Shikamaru sighed, looking up at the cloudless sky in boredom.

"You didn't deny it…" Naruto trailed off.

Shikamaru took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "It would be too troublesome if I graduated early because then, I would end up in a team with two older kids who are not from the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans."

"But wouldn't it be awesome to leave the Academy early?" Naruto asked, taken aback at Shikamaru's reply.

"And give me more work to do?" Shikamaru asked, closing his eyes in irritation. "That'd be too troublesome."

"What would your parents think of it though?"

"Genetics." Shikamaru said without missing a beat.

"What's that?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Shikamaru, time to go." Shikaku called out as he walked out of the Academy.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto." Shikamaru yawned and stood up, slowly strolling towards his father.

"See you later, Shikamaru!" Naruto called out, waving sadly as he watched Shikaku and Shikamaru walk off.

Naruto saw Shikaku whisper something to Shikamaru, and the young Nara turned around, to call out to the blond. "We're going to get some food before we head home—want to come with us?"

Naruto looked at Shikaku hesitantly. He had met the man a couple times before but had never actually spoken to him. Normally, it would be Shikaku muttering something to his son, who then passed on the message to Naruto. There was something off about the man, and that set Naruto on an edge. He just couldn't put a finger on it, but maybe it was the fact he never scowled, yelled or glared at him. He'd _encouraged_ his own child to play with Naruto, rather than to bully or isolate him.

"My dad's paying." Shikamaru called out. He hesitated a little before adding. "And it's ramen."

"Ramen!"

-.-

"I didn't know that smart-mouthing, showing off and picking fights were qualifications for early graduation." Shikaku mused as he strolled along, carrying Shikamaru on his shoulders. The two had just dropped off Naruto at the orphanage, much to their chagrin. They both knew that Naruto wasn't exactly well-liked there. Shikamaru buried his face in his father's hair and mumbled incoherently. "What was that?"

"They keep picking on Naruto." Shikamaru muttered, his brows furrowed in thought. "All of them, even the stinky teacher."

"Shikamaru…" Shikaku let out a bothered sigh.

"Well, it's true." Shikamaru said, defending himself. "The teacher smells like boiled eggs."

Shikaku couldn't help but snort; his son never did like boiled eggs. "You were protecting your friend, I get it, but did you have to do it in such a manner?"

"I know, I know, Dad." Shikamaru mumbled. "I get that Naruto can be troublesome at times, but…"

"People are just afraid of what they do not understand, Shikamaru." Shikaku said quietly.

Shikamaru stared down at his father, expecting him to elaborate. After several minutes of silence, he looked back up and decided to drop it…for the time being. "Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Would you be mad if I flunked on purpose?"

"…How would you explain that to your mother?"

"Easy. I'll blame you because she'll blame you for the fact that I find everything so troublesome."

"Since when did you decide to copy me?"

"I'm four dad, I am far past that stage in my life."

"Brat."

"I know."

-.-

"A prodigy, eh?" Inoichi muttered into his drink. He, Choza, and Shikaku sat in the far back of a dimly lit bar, drinking and talking.

"Oh, the irony of things." Choza said in a deep voice as he nodded sagely.

"Why did you put him in the Academy at such an early age? Kids his age are out playing ninja, or in a Nara's case, being lazy and watching the clouds." Inoichi remarked, shaking his head at the predicament. "I'm planning on entering Ino into the Academy when she turns eight."

"I plan to have Choji enter once he is six since he has been officially announced to be the next head of the Akimichi Clan." Choza said as he swished his drink around. "But… I'm worried that he won't be able to make any friends…"

"Bring your kids to the park tomorrow in the afternoon. I believe that it's time to introduce them to each other." Shikaku replied, looking between the two. "I'll probably be bringing Shikamaru's friend too."

"The young Uzumaki child." Choza murmured as if he didn't want to be overheard. His statement was caught between a polite inquiry and a blunt remark.

"Believe it or not, Naruto's the reason why everyone believes that Shikamaru is a prodigy." Shikaku muttered just loud enough for only his friends to hear. "What they see as prodigy material is actually the brat sticking up for the kid. They want to separate them in fear that Shikamaru is in danger of Naruto."

What are you going to do? The unasked question lingered in the air, shared between Choza and Inoichi.

"Shikamaru made friends with Naruto even after he saw others scorn him and he stuck by him ever since then. He's young, but he already has the mind of a more experienced Nara, so it won't be long before he finds out and sees what it actually is."

"Do you believe your son is a prodigy?" Choza asked looking down at his friend.

"Nope." Shikaku disagreed languidly. "Just wait, that's going to change in due time. Now, if I can get him to stop getting into fights…"

"Didn't you get into plenty of fights while we were in the Academy?"

"Remember that one time when Shikaku had his arm dislocated by Tsume?" Choza reminisced with a chuckle.

"Or how about the time…" Inoichi began to recount of another memory.

Shikaku silently rested his head against the table in annoyance. 'What have you gotten me into, Shikamaru… Why couldn't you just say that everything was a drag from the beginning…'

To be continued…

R/R


	2. Chapter 2

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"Bah, who needs them anyway!" Naruto waved off as he watched a group of kids run off to play ninja. He turned around to face his friend and two others that were also ejected from the game. Choji Akimichi, he wasn't even allowed to play as the other kids stated he was too fat and useless for the game and Ino Yamanaka, the reason is being a girl and fear of getting cooties. "Now what?"

Choji looked down at the ground and kicked an invisible rock with a sad look. "You guys didn't have to do that for me you know…"

"What a bunch of sissies!" Ino huffed out as she glared at the retreating group of boys.

"Eh, it wouldn't have been as fun without the both of you." Shikamaru stated as he headed towards a wooden gazebo. "I'm going to stare up at the clouds if anyone wants to join…"

"Could we do something else?" Naruto whined but he trudged on to the gazebo. "Like I don't know... something."

"Like what?" Ino asked as she followed them towards the gazebo. She gave Choji a look that quickly made the young heir to follow them towards the gazebo with the others.

"I don't know…" Naruto grumbled out defeatedly.

"How about you continue trying to figure out what Stinky-Sensei wanted us to learn?" Shikamaru proposed as he plopped himself on to the wooden flooring of the gazebo.

"Stinky-Sensei?" Choji and Ino asked in confusion.

"That's what Shikamaru calls our teacher at the academy." Naruto chuckled deviously.

"Aren't you guys too young to go to the academy?" Ino asked staring at him strangely.

"Maybe…" Naruto whistled innocently.

"I got bored, sue me." Shikamaru said with a loud yawn.

-.-

"I want Choji on my team!" Ino said as she latched herself onto the heavily blushing boy.

"Sure you do..." Naruto grumbled as he rubbed his sides. Earlier they all decided to play ninja and Naruto was it. The blue-eyed blonde had run towards Choji but that ended up being the worst thing that he could have done. Choji literally body slammed into Naruto, which caused the Uzumaki to soar through the sky, and slam into a tree. He is still pulling out leaves and twigs out of his clothes and hair.

"Whatever." Shikamaru said as he began to walk off. "But it's you guys who are it, though, come on Naruto."

Naruto stuck out his tongue at Ino and Choji before he hobbled over to Shikamaru. "Nah!"

Ino did the same action in retaliation.

-.-

"Choza…your kid sure is uh…" Inoichi coughed out trying to stifle a laugh. "Sure like you Choza."

"His kid managed to launch Naruto into the air and into a tree…imagine what he could do if he actually puts his mind to it." Shikaku said with a snort.

"I hope that Naruto is okay…." Choza said worriedly to his friends.

"I do not want to be it!" A piercing scream rang throughout the park.

Team Ino-Shika-Cho looked over to see Naruto running up the frame of the swing set and latch himself onto the top with no signs of letting go. The three men sweatdropped, as they watched Naruto yell at Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru about not wanting to be it.

"I think that answers your question." Shikaku said, blinking at the scene. Now the kids were throwing things at Naruto, trying to get him to come down to no avail.

-.-

A kid, about nine or ten… groaned in pain as he slid against a wooden fence. The kid's friends watched in shock at their friend's defeat by someone half their age in a fight. The irony of it is that the kid only moved away in the last possible moment and stuck out his foot, causing their friend to trip over and hit his head on the wooden fence.

"I don't want to be the one that says it but…Told you so!" Naruto said as he rubbed his cheek as a bruise began to blossom into an ugly shade of purple.

"Shut up Naruto." Shikamaru grunted as he looked over at the older kids with a boring look. "Don't you guys have class right now?"

The older kids gulped as they quickly picked up their unconscious friend and scurried off.

Once the older kids were out of sight, Shikamaru turned around to face his friend with a questioning look. "Another fight? I thought we got over this?"

Naruto grumbled and looked away from Shikamaru, he attempted to discreetly investigate an alleyway but the ever-observant Shikamaru glanced over only to see a flash of dark blue.

Shikamaru clicked his tongue before he turned around and headed towards the academy. "See you later and try not to be too late, we have a strict schedule, after all."

"So…we still on for the huge prank then?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side with an innocent look.

"I have to make sure that you don't overdo it again like you did last time." Shikamaru responded, shivering at the memory.

"Oh come on, we didn't get caught." Naruto laughed, remembering the exact memory that Shikamaru is recalling.

"How we managed to sneak into ANBU headquarters, replace all their drinking water with sake..." Shikamaru muttered as he walked off. "And get out of there alive, is beyond my own belief."

"Never undermine my pranking abilities."

-.-

"Never undermine my pranking abilities!" Shikamaru said mimicking Naruto voice as he watched Naruto clean the Hokage's Monument, "I told him that we should have run, but he just wanted to add more red paint on the fourth Hokage's lips."

Shikamaru turned around and headed home, a smirk playing on his lips as he felt as if someone was glaring at his back.

"You know…that was a low move leaving him behind to take all the blame."

Shikamaru looked over to see his father leaning against a wall as he stared up at the Hokage Monument. Shikaku then glanced down at his son and stared at him with a bored look but to Shikamaru…it meant something very different.

"Ugh…fine." Shikamaru sputtered out as he turned around and run off towards the defaced Monument.

"Works every time." Shikaku chuckled as walked off towards his home.

-.-

Naruto grumbled as he scrubbed off the paint off the monument, but he mentally patted himself on the back that it took them so long to catch him. The only funny thing about it was some chunin had caught him but not his partner in crime. Sure, he got caught, but at least it was worth it. Now, if he could figure out who exactly had caught him in the act.

"I expect this to be paint free!" Said a Chunin called out to the Uzumaki.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever." Naruto grunted as he continued with his punishment. "Who are you anyway?"

"Iruka Umino." Iruka said as he tugged on the rope that Naruto was using, making sure that the knucklehead won't fall off to his death. "Now, could you tell me what possessed you to desecrate the Hokage Monument?"

Naruto shrugged and continued with the scrubbing. "I got bored…"

Iruka shook head but did not comment any further as he heard footsteps coming towards them. It was obvious it was not from a Shinobi as they would not make their appearance so obviously heard and they sounded too soft paced to be an adult. Turning around, he saw a boy about the same age as Naruto carrying a bucket and several cleaning supplies. "Hello?"

"Troublesome."

"Is that you Shikamaru?" Naruto called out.

"Yeah, it's me fishcake!" Shikamaru called out as he tied a long rope around his waist and then on a tree. "Coming down."

Iruka watched as Shikamaru swung down the monument and promptly helped Naruto clean it. A smile graced his lips as he watched the two boys interact with each other. Friends, it seemed, as they quietly worked together, in a comfortable kind of silence.

"I told you that painting the monument was a bad idea."

"I know."

"But you did it anyway."

"I know."

"You could have gotten away with it if you did it during the night instead of in broad daylight."

"But where's the fun in that?"

"What was that?" Iruka shouted at the two boys.

"Nothing." Shikamaru and Naruto said in unison.

Iruka couldn't help but feel like this was just the beginning of his upcoming headache?

"Fishcake!"

"Pineapple-head!"

"Fishcake!"

"Pineapple-head!"

"SHUT UP!" Iruka shouted at them as he used his secret jutsu to make his head bigger which caused the two boys to quickly scurry back to their work.

-.-

Shikamaru sat on an extremely uncomfortable chair that was placed just outside the principal of the Academy's office. His dad was once again called but, this time, by the principal. He was offered to stay but his dad had told him to wait outside until they were finished. Oh, why was he born with such a mind and focus on his future career?

"How many times do I have to say it! I didn't do it!"

Shikamaru glanced over to see Stinky-Sensei drag Naruto by his ear into the office and promptly yell at him. Staring at them, Shikamaru coughed into his hand, catching their attention. Once he got their attention, Shikamaru pointed his head towards the principal's office with an obvious look.

Stinky-Sensei tutted, he gave Naruto one last glare before he walked off. Naruto stuck out his tongue at the teacher and he sat next to Shikamaru. "I corrected him, and he went off."

"And they put him in charge of our learning." Shikamaru snorted, crossing his arms.

"Why are you here? Haven't seen you this morning." Naruto asked, scratching his head in thought. "Or yesterday really."

Shikamaru let out a sigh. "I took the graduation test."

"I thought you weren't going to take it until the end of the year?" Naruto asked in shock.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Apparently not…"

Naruto eyes widened at the news. "You passed right? Right?"

To be continued…

R/R.


	3. Chapter 3

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing

-.-

'_Shikamaru Thoughts'_

'Naruto Thoughts'

-.-

"They failed me but after Old Man Hokage and my dad looked over my scores, they passed me."

_'They wanted to prove that I am someone to be taken seriously.'_

"What do you mean by that?"

'Please tell me this isn't what I think it is?'

"I passed on my terms, not on theirs."

_'I made them look like idiots as I did the exam for one last hurrah and made it through.'_

"…Does this mean that you're leaving huh?"

'You're leaving me behind.'

"What does that supposed to mean, I'm not leaving the village."

'_I'm not going anywhere.'_

"The Academy, you're leaving here."

'I'm going to be alone again.'

Shikamaru stared at Naruto with a deadpanned expression before he bonked him on the head. "Just because I won't be here every day does not mean I'll stop being your friend. I'll still be around, you are still my best friend and you know that you are more than welcome to come over… Which reminds me, mom is making a huge dinner, you're invited to come over."

_'Idiot, you know me better than that.'_

'Sorry, I panic.'

'_Fishcake.'_

'Pineapple-head.'

-.-

Whispers filled the whole village at the news of a prodigy that is even greater than both Kakashi 'Copy Ninja' Hatake and Itachi Uchiha. The latter of which is planning to take the Chunin exams in nine months. What really got the whispers going is the fact that said prodigy hails from the Nara clan. It is true that the current Jonin Commander is none other than Shikaku Nara, who is the father of said prodigy, of the said clan who is highly known for his intelligence and sheer skill. It was the fact that the child is close friends with a certain pariah and unenthusiastic about so many things has the villagers scratching their heads trying to comprehend it.

This was what one Itachi Uchiha was thinking as he walked towards a designated location. He had heard from his sensei that he and his other teammate that Shikamaru Nara is going to be assigned to their team. Their previous teammate, who shall be remained nameless, had met with a rather unfortunate accident and decided that the Shinobi lifestyle was not in the cards.

Stopping underneath a blooming cherry blossom tree, Itachi sat underneath the tree and waited. As he sat there, Itachi looked up towards the sky and admired the sky. The clouds looked like cotton candy…

"Good morning, Itachi-san."

Itachi glanced over his shoulder to see his other teammate, Kabuto Yakushi approaching him with his placid smile. He only regarded him with a curt nod before he returned back to stare up at the rising sun.

"Always the quiet one, eh?" Kabuto chuckled as he decided to lean against the tree as they waited for their new teammate and teacher. "I wonder how the new kid will be? I heard that the kid is a genius."

"His father is Shikaku Nara." Itachi said as if to explain the situation to a child. "The current Jonin Commander of the village."

"My dad would rather have me still be in the academy."

Itachi and Kabuto blinked in surprise, then slowly looked up to see young boy resting in the cherry tree. He looked to be the same age as Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke.

"How long have you been up there?"

"Since six-thirty. Now be quiet, I am trying to nap here. Troublesome kids..."

The two older boys stared at him with unbelieving eyes. Did this kid just...

"You two need to work on your sensory skills more often."

Ah, what a wonderful start to a blooming friendship.

-.-

Shikaku lay nearly sprawled over a bar top as he continually drank drink after drink. His friends sat in their respective seats, hiding knowing smiles behind their own drinks.

The owner of the establishment only shook his head but continued to serve him drinks. As he knew that Inoichi and Choza could take care of Shikaku.

The owner whispered to the much most sober of the three, Choza "What's wrong with him exactly? He should be over the moon."

"He's just having a rough time of letting his son go." Choza explained to the man.

"I feel so old..." Shikaku moaned in despair.

"And a hurt ego." Choza sweatdropped.

"Hurt ego, hah." Inoichi snorted, he 'lightly' shoved Shikaku which resulted in the man falling to the ground with a loud groan of pain. "He doesn't like being one-upped by his four-year-old son."

"I resent that comment." Shikaku shot back.

"Have another drink Shikaku." Inoichi sighed, he took an offered drink from the bar owner and waved it at Shikaku. The owner watched as Shikaku hand slowly reached up and took the drink that is being offered to. "Better?"

"What a drag." Shikaku muttered under his breath as he got back on his seat. A light chime ringed through the bar signifying a new customer had entered the bar. In came in none other than Fugaku Uchiha, dressed in his Konoha Military Police Force (For now it would be called KMPF to shorten it) uniform. He glanced around the bar before his eyes landed on Shikaku, which could be a very bad thing as Fugaku is the Chief of KMPF. Shikaku for all that he is, he blatantly ignored the Uchiha in favor of finishing his drink, 'Maybe if I…Nope, got to stop drinking before I make an idiot of myself and give the guys blackmail material for later.'

"A word Nara." Fugaku stated coolly to the moderately drunk Shikaku.

"If this is about my son, I have nothing to say." Shikaku said as he rested his head on the bar top. "If you doubt his abilities, challenge him in a game of Shogi."

"You do realize that's a fool's game against any Nara, right?" Inoichi deadpanned to his friend.

"Still sore about Shikamaru beating you?" Choza asked him.

"I don't see you trying to beat him!" Inoichi shot back at him before he quickly shot down his drink.

"That is because I know better."

-.-

Raido Namiashi watched as Itachi and Kabuto work with Shikamaru. The three of them were butting heads but would occasionally work together. For a moment, he would have thought that both Kabuto and Itachi would oppose listening to Shikamaru let alone fight alongside him.

"If we go with your plan, it would leave a massive opening." Shikamaru said bluntly to Itachi. Itachi resisted the urge to strangle the young Nara, it was the tenth plan he had planned to only be rejected.

Kabuto only stood back as he watched the other two argue, this is the first time he had ever seen Itachi about to lose his cool and calm composure. Judging by the twitching eyebrow and constant twitch to a hidden kunai or shuriken, that control is about to be totally broken.

"Does this mean that you have a plan then, Shikamaru-kun?" Itachi scowled at the younger boy.

"I had something planned out since the beginning." Shikamaru said as he signaled for Kabuto and Itachi to come closer.

"Then why didn't you say anything before?" Itachi said pointing at his shirt that is covered with claw marks.

"He did tell you that your plan wasn't going to work." Kabuto pointed out to Itachi.

"Who asked you!"

"Just making a point."

Raido could only but shake his head as the three got to work for their task of being a team, catching Tora. "Remember that you three have until the afternoon. Time is ticking."

-.-

"Who are your teammates Shikamaru?" Naruto asked as he and Shikamaru caught up after the first mission.

Shikamaru pulled out cat hair out of his shirt. "Itachi Uchiha and Kabuto Yakushi."

"An Uchiha?" Naruto asked, his expression soured at the mention of the name. A lot of the Uchiha clansmen are harsh towards Naruto for whatever reason. "What are they like?"

Shikamaru decided to stop pulling out cat hair from his person as he thought about the question. "For the most part, he's quiet but quick to get angered when you know the right button to push which is very easy in my opinion. But he keeps distancing himself and I don't believe he actually has a close friend outside of his clan."

"And the other guy?"

"Kabuto…He…He seems off." Shikamaru said looking up at the sky. "He didn't mention much about his past and he seems rather fake with that smile of his. Those two have serious trust issues or they don't like me besides that they are okay...I'm inviting them to a late lunch, and I want you to meet them."

"…I don't know. Is there ramen involved?"

"It's ramen."

-.-

"Guys this is my best friend Naruto Uzumaki." Shikamaru said introducing Naruto as he and Naruto approached Itachi and Kabuto at the cherry blossom tree. "Naruto, this is Kabuto and Itachi, my teammates."

To be continued…

R/R


	4. Chapter 4

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing

-.-

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered as he lay on a wide branch of a massive tree and is staring up at the sky to only have it obscured by the tree branches and leaves. In one hand he had, a kunai that seemed to appear dull in the forest shade. The tree trunk only had one gash to signify Shikamaru's progress. The tree walking exercise was his assigned task for the day.

Letting out a sigh, Shikamaru sat up and looked down towards the forest floor. "Troublesome… I cannot see the ground."

'This is going to be a pain.' Shikamaru thought as he jumped from branch to branch. Once arriving back at the ground floor, he saw Itachi throwing kunai and shuriken at targets set around the area. Kabuto is sitting under a tree, right below a target reading a scroll. "Where's Raido-sensei?"

"Lord Hokage called for him." Itachi said as he continued with his target practice.

"How far did you go?" Kabuto asked glancing over at Shikamaru.

"Almost all the way to the top." Shikamaru said as he fell against the leaf-covered earth with a sigh of relief. Kabuto and Itachi stopped their activities to glance at each other and then at Shikamaru.

"I have to keep up with a hyperactive idiot; it takes a lot of energy out of anyone." Shikamaru said using his right arm to cover his eyes. "Having to run away from Anbu, helping my dad with the deer and hiding from my mom when she's in one of her moods."

"Anbu?" The other two asked. Why would he run away from Anbu?

"I help said idiot." Shikamaru yawned loudly. "Unlike Naruto, I know when to run and hide."

"What did you do to have them chase you down?" Kabuto asked with a tilt of his head.

Shikamaru snorted, he raised his hand and counted out what he and Naruto done in their pranks. "Painting the Hokage's Monument…"

"I heard that Naruto was the main perpetrator in that..." Itachi trailed off as he remembered all the times, he woke up to look out to see the graffiti on the monument.

"His idea, I painted the First and Second and he was supposed to do the Third and Fourth." Shikamaru said he couldn't help but smirk at the memory. "Then there were all those times sneaking into the Anbu Headquarters…"

"You…actually sneaked into their headquarters…more than once!"

"You'd be surprised how horrible their security, especially where they keep all their paperwork. Did you know the reason Anbu are always late is that they are too busy reading those little orange books?"

-.-

"What I am going to teach you is… how to climb a tree without using your hands." Shikamaru said as he paced in front of Naruto, who sat on the ground trying to comprehend what the Nara is telling him.

"What?" Naruto asked, his face scrunched up not understanding what Shikamaru is telling him.

Shikamaru did a hand sign before he proceeded to climb up the tree without using his hands. Naruto watched in amazement as Shikamaru casually walked up the tree and promptly sat on a branch. "Whoa…I want to try now!"

"Wait, Nar-" Shikamaru tried to warn his friend but it was too late. He only shook his head at seeing Naruto groan in pain as he held his head. "If you don't add enough chakra, you will fall and if you add mu-"

Crack! Smash! A groan of pain.

"You will break the tree and fall off…." Shikamaru trailed off shaking his head as Naruto continued to try to climb up a tree without his hands but only his chakra. He watched as Naruto continued with his training but did not seem to be getting it. "Focus your chakra towards your feet but maintain a steady continuous flow."

Step. Step. Step. Step. Crunch. Smash. Oomph. Growl. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Hah! Louder Crunch! Scream of pain.

"Do you get it now?"

"Shut up, I'm training here!"

"Just checking."

-.-

"Who are they?" Sasuke Uchiha asked pointing at a new photograph into an old photo frame.

Itachi looked over at the entrance of his room to see his younger brother pointing at the said objects in his hands. It is a picture of his team, Team Four. The picture is taken right in front of the cherry blossom tree where the team meets, Raido standing in front of the tree with his arms crossed over his chest, Kabuto, Itachi, and Shikamaru stood in front of him. Kabuto had his usual smile, Itachi with his collective expression and Shikamaru with a deadpanned expression and gave the camera operator a peace sign.

"My team." Itachi said placed the frame carefully on his desk, he waved Sasuke into the room.

"Who are they?" Sasuke asked again, he attentively walked into the room and sat next to his brother.

"This is Raido-Sensei." Itachi said pointing at the teacher. "This is Kabuto Yakushi, he graduated last year, and this is Shikamaru Nara, he graduated last week."

Sasuke's face scrunched up seeing Shikamaru. "He's my age!"

"Actually he's three months younger than you." Itachi said, smiling at his brother's expression.

Sasuke scowled and glared at the boy in the picture. "Hn."

Itachi only shook his head at Sasuke attitude. "He is quite intelligent compared to a lot of people."

"But you're smarter than him." Sasuke said he looked at his brother with wide eyes waiting for a confirmation.

"Ah… Actually, his IQ surpasses mine." Itachi chuckled at Sasuke shocked expression. "He played a game of Shogi against the Hokage…and won."

"No, that's impossible!" Sasuke said defiantly to him.

"It's true." Itachi said, with a sage-like nod. "I was there, it's true."

"He's not better than you thought." Sasuke with a superior expression, believing his brother is the best of the best.

Itachi looked over at the picture with a pensive expression. "It all depends, and it all depends on the circumstances."

"How?"

"If I were to fight against full-on… I would have to quickly end the fight as soon as possible." Itachi said as he continued to stare at the picture. "If I allowed the fight to continue on for too long…he would win the fight…and probably walk away leaving me in an awkward position saying it would be too troublesome to continue on."

Itachi did not mention that Raido had assigned a teamwork-building exercise. It resulted with Itachi being hogtied along with Kabuto and they watched Shikamaru climb up a tree, via without using his hands, and took a nap as he left Itachi and Kabuto hogtied.

-.-

Danzo dismissed Kabuto after a quick debriefing of his team. To say the least it was…interesting, to say the least. The elder walked off and headed out of Root Headquarters, he needed to reassess Kabuto teammates and teacher. It was near a phenomenon, that he had managed to get Kabuto to be in a team with Itachi Uchiha along with Shikamaru Nara. The main reason for that is to keep an eye on Itachi but now an eye on Shikamaru. The two would be ideal to have in Root. They are both child prodigy's from their own respective clans with their own specialties.

Itachi Uchiha had graduated at the age of seven and had fully mastered his Sharingan by the time he was eight years old. The only issue with him is that he is slated to become the next head of the Uchiha clan. Fugaku would have his head if he ever considers taking Itachi into Root. Including what Kabuto had told him about the Uchiha is that he is a pacifist at heart and will not fight unless it was for the greater good.

Then there is Shikamaru Nara, the only child of the current Head of the Nara clan. He had graduated from the academy breaking Kakashi Hatake's previous record by only a year. If the Nara continues with his training, there is a high possibility that he could make chunin in the next exam. From the information, Kabuto had told him, the boy is always several steps ahead of anyone and learning everything at a quick set pace. Like Itachi though, there are many things preventing Danzo from going after Shikamaru. One of them would be that the current head is Shikaku Nara the current Jonin Commander and Head of the Nara clan and everyone Danzo offered an opportunity for a Nara to join Root they denied the chance unless Danzo plays a game of Shogi against them.

The only way anyone of them would even _consider _joining if Danzo beats them in a game of Shogi. Even then, it is a long shot. Danzo had gone against several Nara's and always came out losing. Even if it was a simple game, the fact losing in such matter is humiliating.

Although…He could use other means.

"This is so troublesome!"

"Look at the pretty stars Shikamaru! Look at them!"

Danzo hid in a dimly lit alleyway as he watched Shikamaru help/drag the Kyubi container walk. By the direction they were heading, they were heading to the Nara compound. Of course, he had heard that the Nara is...friends… with the container of the Nine-Tail Fox. Perhaps he would use that to his advantage.

-.-

"And there you go." Yoshino said as she rubbed healing ointment over Naruto's face and arms. "That should do it now..."

Yoshino slowly turned around to face her son with a seemingly pleasing smile, that only sent shivers of fear down Shikamaru spine. "Tell me once again…WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING OUT THIS LATE!"

To be continued….

R/R


	5. Chapter 5

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

It has been two months, two months since Shikamaru graduated from the Academy. Two months since he joined Team Four, months he spent training with them and helping his friend along the way and it all seemed… so juvenile. Is this what it means to be a ninja? A Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, what is it!

Shikamaru stared down at an ever-endless chasm with dull eyes. He has been like this for the past hour and did not seem to be moving any time soon.

Raido and Kabuto were disposing of a group of bandits they had just killed. They would occasionally glance over at him but did not make any notion to say or do anything. For they know the feeling of the first kill.

Itachi pulled out a small box from his pouch and kneeled next to Shikamaru. They both stayed there as they looked down into the chasm. Itachi offered the box to Shikamaru. "Pocky?"

Shikamaru did not even glance at Itachi as he took a pocky from Itachi and chewed on it slowly. "How am I supposed to feel right now? I just made a bunch of guys dance to their death into a chasm."

"They were bandits that have been terrorizing merchants and travelers and have escalated to killing said people." Itachi stated glancing at Shikamaru. "It had to be done to protect others that would have taken this route to Konoha."

"Is it considered to be bad that this does not bother me at all?" Shikamaru asked Itachi, he looked at him expecting an answer that could make him see the sense of what he did. "I just…"

"You are overthinking it." Itachi said standing up, he reached over and flicked Shikamaru's nose, which earned him a look. "You want to feel bad for doing this, but answer me this…did they even flinch at the idea of attacking you, a child?"

"…No…"

-.-

"This is so…Agh!" Naruto fell into a river with a loud splash. "Not again~"

Shikamaru snorted, he walked around the river's water and watched Naruto attempt to water walk. Before he has left for his first mission outside of the village, he had assigned Naruto with the task of Water Walking and it is coming along…sort of.

Naruto had managed to get to his ankles but not the bottom of his feet. At least he understands what he is supposed to do. "Keep going."

"I know." Naruto said gritting his teeth.

Shikamaru stared at Naruto and bluntly stated. "You suck."

"What was that!" Naruto yelled at Shikamaru. "Take it back!"

"Make me." Shikamaru said smirking.

Naruto growled at Shikamaru and took several steps towards him, wobbly but determined steps. "Take. It. Back."

"You. Suck." Shikamaru said emphasizing his words, he took several steps back as Naruto approached him.

This took on for quite some time. Naruto would step towards Shikamaru and Shikamaru would take a step back. What the blonde did not even notice is that as he continued to chase his friend around, it was over the river surface.

"You finally got it." Shikamaru said pointing at Naruto's feet.

"Huh?" Naruto looked down at his feet, his eyes widened. "Fina-"

Naruto fell back into the river and gurgled loudly as he fell in, Shikamaru sweatdropped. "Naruto?"

No response, only more gurgling. "Hey… Fishcake... Oi!"

Gurgle. Gurgle. Silence.

"This isn't funny anymore Naruto." Shikamaru said panic began to set in as Naruto yet to surface. 'Dammit…Mom is going to kill me.'

Right as Shikamaru was about to go save his friend, said friend jumped through the surface of the water and dragged Shikamaru underneath the surface of the river.

"Dammit Naruto!" Shikamaru choked out as he surfaced.

"You should have seen your face!" Naruto laughed at Shikamaru. "You were like…Hey, are you alright?"

Shikamaru was shaking excessively, his eyes shut tight trying to prevent any upcoming tears that threatened to fall. "That was…troublesome."

"Are you…crying?"

"Shut up."

-.-

"How could you be so sure, that your son is safe around that… ruffian?"

"He is corrupting your son, Nara-san."

"Do you believe that it is wise for your son to be around that child, Nara?"

Shikaku sat on his spot in the council room as many voiced their opinion on the matter that his son continued to associate himself with the demon child. At first, they simply believed that Shikaku would, like many others, forbade his son from associating with the container. As time went by, it was clear that Shikaku encouraged the ever blossoming friendship. Now, once that Shikamaru had graduated from the academy, the pressure of having the two kids separate continued on even more. It is noted that Shikamaru is training Naruto on his time off and the Uzumaki is making huge strides in his studies both physical and mental.

"My son is not being corrupted, if anything, he is corrupting Naruto." Shikaku said with a tired sigh. "My son is the one that pushes Naruto forward with his studies and training. Since the system seems to purposely fail anyone who they deemed inadequate for no reason."

The Third Hokage stared at Shikaku with complete agreement written in his eyes. It was apparent that the current standards at the Academy had dropped with the increase of civilian children entered throughout the years. To accommodate the children who have grown in a civilian household with no training in the Shinobi Arts. To have a child point it out, embarrassing but it holds truth.

"What exactly is wrong with the system that is set up?" One of the councilmembers asked stiffly, others agreed with said councilmember that spoke up and all stared at Shikaku with an answer.

Shikaku gave them a look that crossed with, 'Are you kidding me?' and 'Don't even get me started.'

Other Clan Heads could only shake their heads as they silently agreed with Shikaku. Standards had gone down to the point it is laughable for them.

"I have heard that you are housing the…Uzumaki child in your home." Danzo said just loud enough to have the room turn silent. "Is that correct?"

"Yes." Shikaku said not missing a beat. "My son invites him over a lot. Almost part of the family."

-.-

"Here's your food." Yoshino said placing a bowl of meat and rice to Naruto and gave one to her son too. "And here's yours. Try not to have another food fight."

"Yeah, mom." Shikamaru said before he delved into his food.

"Yes, Yoshino-Sama!" Naruto responded and he quickly devoured his food.

Yoshino smiled as she headed back to the kitchen, the moment she entered the kitchen and her smile dropped. Naruto has not appeared at the Nara household and from that week, it looked like he lost weight. It seemed that the orphanage has not been giving him food again. It always made her feel at unease with having to have Naruto go back to that hellhole.

Yoshino quickly made several more bowls of food for the boys. If she had any say in it, should have Naruto stay in the Nara Household. He brings such a ray of sunshine in this home filled with shadows. Do not get her wrong, she loves her son and husband but their behavior could get on her nerves at times, plus at least Naruto has some manners when it comes with women.

"Hey, that's mime!"

"I don't see your name on it, Fishcake."

"This means war. War I say!"

"Blah, blah, all words and no play."

Smash. Crash. More smashes and more crashes.

Yoshino lips twitched as she reached over to a rolling pin that resided next to her. "BOYS! YOU TWO BETTER BE EATING AND NOT FIGHTING!"

Silence.

-.-

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asked his brother as they headed towards the specific location.

"To the park." Itachi responded back.

"Why?" Sasuke asked him, he looked at him with such wide eyes.

"You will see." Itachi said with a small smile.

"I will see what?" Sasuke asked another question. "Well?"

Itachi let out a sigh. "We are going to meet with my teammates."

Sasuke's face scrunched up in instant distaste that any four your old could pull off. "Why?"

"You need to hang out with kids outside of the clan." Itachi said flicking Sasuke on the forehead.

"Hey stop it!" Sasuke gripped rubbing his forehead.

Itachi chuckled, he stopped in front of a cherry blossom tree. "Here we are."

Sasuke, still rubbing his forehead, looked around expecting to see his older brother's teammates. "Where are they?"

"Hehe."

"Shut up."

"Can't."

Sasuke looked up to see two boys his age standing on the bottom side of a branch on the tree in front of them. One of them is a kid with black hair tied in a spiky ponytail, sharp brown eyes and a pair of silver hoop earrings. He is wearing a zipped up, long-sleeved gray jacket with green edges with a giant teal green circle on the front of the jacket, a pair of dark brown shorts and blue sandals. The other seemed to be in complete contrast to the other with bright spiky blonde hair, optimistic blue eyes and he had whisker marks on his cheeks. He is wearing a bright orange t-shirt with swirls of red, green and other hues of orange all around the shirt, a pair of yellow shorts and blue sandals.

The two were in complete contrast though, one had a lazy irritated expression and the other wore a cheerful smile. Quiet vs Boisterous, Clever vs Stupidity, Unenthusiastic vs Enthusiastic and a long list of differences between the two, Shikamaru and Naruto seemed so different.

"Who's the Duck Butt?" Naruto snickered pointing at Sasuke.

"That's Sasuke Uchiha." Shikamaru said he let out a loud yawn. "Itachi's younger brother."

"How do you know that?" Naruto asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Tsk."

"That's not an answer!" Naruto replied agitatedly.

"Whatever."

"Shikamaru…" Naruto growled under his breath.

"What? You were questioning my information." Shikamaru said as he jumped off the branch and landed in front of Sasuke. "Hey. I am Itachi's teammate, Shikamaru Nara and he is Naruto Uzumaki."

Sasuke looked up at his brother for any confirmation. He still has trouble believing that this kid in front of him is on par with his older brother. A well-known prodigy from a highly prominent clan one of the strongest in Konoha, here comes along a kid from a lesser clan from what his father keeps telling him. "Hn."

Shikamaru looked up at Itachi to see the older kid giving him an apologetic look for his brother's behavior. Looking back at Sasuke. "He looks like a momma's boy."

Sasuke eyes widened in shock before they narrowed. "Take that back!"

"Whatever." Shikamaru tsk'ed, he turned around and jumped back up at the tree and sat on the branch. "Kabuto's not coming, said something that some old guy wanted to talk to him."

"The old guy looked like a mummy." Naruto added in. "And old…very old."

Itachi brows furrowed before he gave a slight nod in understanding. Danzo has called upon Kabuto recently raising eyebrows from Raido, Itachi and now Shikamaru. Every time Kabuto comes back, he is more secretive, and his smiles are faker than the last. "How about we head to the park?"

"Hey, can we play ninja?" Naruto asked looking down/up at Shikamaru.

"Fine, but you are it." Shikamaru said he smirked as Naruto paled.

"What's…ninja?" Sasuke asked, confused by the name of the so-called game.

Shikamaru and Naruto looked at each other and both began to grin at the same time. Itachi looked down at his brother. "Run."

To be continued….

R/R.


	6. Chapter 6

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"I expect every one of you to come back in one whole piece." Yoshino said as she pointed at Team Four, who were sitting around the Nara family table. "Is that understood?"

"Yeah, mom." Shikamaru said in-between bites.

"Of course, Yoshino-sama." Itachi said, he had placed his chopsticks down before he responded to the Nara Matriarch.

Kabuto just nodded as he had too much food in his mouth to verbally respond.

"And I expect you to not try to follow them like the last time." Yoshino said, glaring at her other, semi-permanent, guest, "Naruto…"

Naruto nodded quickly, is unconsciously edging away from her, and towards Shikaku. The man gave the boy a sympatric look, Shikaku patted Naruto on the head and received a nervous look. "You gave us quite a scare with that stunt, Naruto."

"Sorry." Naruto mumbled. "I was being chased and well…"

Shikaku only shook his head signifying for Naruto to not to continue. There have been an increase of mobs chasing down Naruto in the last couple of months, among several other things that he would rather not remember for it would be so much of a drag and too much to get through even if he seen much worse. "Keep eating your dinner, Naruto."

Naruto nodded unsurely but continued to eat his meal with zeal.

Yoshino sent a look towards Shikaku but did the comment. Last thing she needed is to have a dark cloud over this dinner especially with her son's friends and teammates. She held back a snort, if her son was not a full ledged Shinobi, Shikamaru would have a talk and too bout the kind of friends he has around. Then again, after meeting them Yoshino had taken a liking to them.

Just like Naruto, the two would frequently come over. Not as often as Naruto does, but they do come over, they would normally play against Shikamaru or Shikaku in a game of Shogi or Go. Yoshino smirked, Shikamaru still has not beaten his father but he managed to beat the proud Uchiha Prodigy. Glancing around the table, Yoshino smiled softly at the setting in front of her.

It is unconventional to say the least; the boys are comfortable and can drop their guard to a point of course. Shikaku was at ease with them and would offer them advice about random things here and there; there were times though they would avoid him out of embarrassment.

A family no-

"Boys…What did I say about fighting at the table?"

Pause. Silence. Heavy silence.

"He took the last piece of beef!"

"So what."

"Not again…"

"Could we all just get along?"

"No! /No."

-.-

"We won't be back in the village for a month, two at the most." Shikamaru said as he and Naruto headed towards the main gates of the village. Shikamaru had a dark green rucksack over his shoulder overfilled with items he would need for his journey. "You know what to do if you get in trouble."

Naruto nodded. "I will look for Shikaku-sama if a shop owner overcharges me, a mob starts to chase me, troubles at school, and if I need a place to stay or food, go to your place."

"Good." Itachi said with a nod, he placed a hand on top of Naruto's hand. "Keep up with your training, perhaps one day you could be as grand as us."

"Or you could end up with something that could outshine us." Kabuto added in, he tugged on Naruto's shirt in a teasing matter.

"Do not undermine my unpredictability." Naruto snorted, he slapped Kabuto's hands away from him with a lighthearted glare. "You guys will be back, soon right?"

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto with a bored expression. "If this escort goes well like I said a month if not two. Escort missions are such a drag."

"This would make it the third escort mission for the last two months, right?" Naruto asked perplexed by Shikamaru recent missions. In the last two months Team Four has been assigned multiple escorts, delivery, retrieval, and much other missions that vary, but they always came back successful but carry back the horrible aspects of the Shinobi life. "At least you guys would be back in a month or so."

'If only,' Team Four thought ruefully as the finally arrived at the gates. Standing by the gates is Raido with three other unfamiliar figures. The three figures looked peeved, perhaps at the fact they were being kept waiting.

One of them is a large bulky man with gray spiky hair, red markings underneath his eyes, wearing a semi-formal gray kimono shirt with a dark blue fur lining, and brown pants with matching fur leg warmers. He is also wearing a red scarf with round stones ornaments attached to the scarf. Next to the man is a petite woman with long purple hair, amber eyes and is wearing a long pink and lavender kimono dress, she also has on a red scarf with matching ornaments as the man. She had a firm hand on the final figure, a girl that is about Shikamaru's age with messy purple hair and red markings under her amber-colored eyes. She is wearing a short sleeve pink kimono top with a furry collar, violet shorts, and furry leg warmers. Like the adults, she also has a red scarf with the same ornaments.

Raido seemed to be trying to calm down the man along with the woman.

"Where is this team of yours?" The man said, scowling at Raido. "We were set to leave an hour ago."

"My apologies, Lord Enzo." Raido said trying to get the man to calm down a bit, the last thing he needs is more problems for the village. Then again, the time that was set to leave was nine in the morning it is only eight-thirty. If anything, Team Four still have a half-hour until the designated time. "Rest assured that they are going to be here any moment now…There they are, my team."

Raido looked over his shoulder and looked at his team plus Naruto. "Lord Enzo, this is my team, and…this is a friend of theirs…"

Naruto looked over at Team Four and silently moved away from them with a nervous expression. Enzo was giving Team Four an intimidating look and the last thing he wanted is be at the receiving end of the reason behind it. "See ya, guys. I'm going to head back and help Shikaku-sama."

Without another word, Naruto took to the roofs in a hurry. Shikamaru had to give him some credit, Naruto's training is paying off even when he is terrified and in a hurry.

"He's improving." Kabuto mused as he and his teammates approached their teacher and mission. "But he still needs to control in his emotions."

"Let him be." Shikamaru yawned, he eyed the strangers with a bored by thinking observant eye. It was obvious they were not your average nobles that prefer to stray away from trouble. If anything, the man looked like he had his own fair share of battles. The woman had all the looks and attitudes of a delicate noblewoman, she seemed to get the man to stray away from fighting against Raido signifying she prefers to stray away from violence. The girl looked like her mother in appearance but her father's attitude. She kept copying her father's expression and doing random punches and kicks in the air. "This is going to be so troublesome."

"This is it? A bunch of kids?" Enzo grunted staring down at Team Four.

"I rest assure you, Lord Enzo, they are upcoming Shinobi." Raido said assured him. "Allow them to show you what they are capable of."

"They look like a bunch of pansies." The young girl snickered, she pointed at Shikamaru. "Are you a girl or a boy?"

Kabuto and Itachi looked away hiding a look of mirth and annoyance; this would not be the same time that Shikamaru was being mistaken for the opposite gender.

"What a total drag." Shikamaru muttered, he started to walk out of the gates, "Troublesome girl. Troublesome mission. Troublesome, troublesome, troublesome."

-.-

Naruto ran through the Nara compound his main destination is the Nara main household. He would say hi he comes across and get a random treat here and there. Anything they could do to help him feel at home from a place filled with torment.

As he approached the home, Naruto quickly hid behind a bush when he saw Danzo leaving the home. Following Danzo is Shikaku, who is giving the old man a look that could make anyone shiver in total fear. Naruto inwardly gulped and hid further into the bush, all he could hear is Shikaku intense voice as he spoke down to Danzo. Every time Danzo attempted to talk, Shikaku cut him off with a glare and harsh words.

Danzo stayed quiet before he excused himself and left. He only stopped momentarily right by where Naruto is hiding. Naruto stayed in the same spot, not even taking a single breath in fear he could get caught.

"Danzo." Shikaku called out warningly.

Danzo quickly left without another word. As soon as he did, Shikaku expression visually changed back to his bored and relaxed expression. "Come inside Naruto."

"...Is it safe to come out?"

"Yoshino made ramen."

"Coming~"

To be continued…

R/R.


	7. Chapter 7

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"Like I was saying…" Shikamaru said as he and his teammates as they escorted the Tenro family. "The system they are implementing in the Academy is a total drag that it gives so much trouble to everyone with glaring problems."

Enzo Tenro watched the three genins gather up said bandits and missing-nin in a timely manner. All the while the three young Shinobi's had several discussions about certain and random things that all had to do from their current topic to politics, tactics to herbal medicines, and all the way down to eating habits. It is…off, very off for Enzo to see and hear.

He had expected for these boys to be showoffs or be frightened to see what exactly they had signed up for. It was obvious that none of the boys have an exact love to fight, despite the fact all of them have what it takes to be formidable Shinobi in their own right of course. The only thing they enjoy fighting about is politics, strategies, intellect and comparing everything and anything. They fought with their minds and they gain knowledge than a broken bone. Well, except for the bruised ego.

"You guys have all wrong." Shikamaru drawled out interrupting Itachi and Kabuto discussion about the up and downs of the famed Akimichi Three Colored Pills they have heard about. "If someone from outside the clan or does not have a big frame, they would die before they even have a chance to fight. Like both of you, the reason it is forbidden is that the pills use all the fat from the body to increase the power by a hundred. It is highly dangerous as it will emaciate the user and kill them if they do not have adequate boy fat and experience."

"…I thought they only made them skinner?" Itachi asked slowly, taking in the information.

Kabuto looked away from them, his ears red. He is the one that is extensively learning about medicine and has a source who has an enormous amount of information, and he did not know about that.

"Now…if we are talking about soldier pills…" Shikamaru began to say and went on with lecturing Itachi and Kabuto about the pros and cons of soldier pills.

"They sound like a bunch of pansies." Ryuka huffed out staring at the boys. The young heiress had expected more from the boys. So much for famed prodigies…

The sound branches snapping, and scuffled leaves sounded out, it quickly put the Tenro Family on high alert. As for Raido and his team, they only continued with their conversations. The only difference is the topic of conversation.

-.-

"Who are all of you to dictate what I, my family and clan in general can and cannot do?" Shikaku stated, he sat in his spot in the council room. He sat on the Shinobi side of the council room with his normal bored expression, but his eyes say otherwise. They stared at the council members in annoyance, who were they, simple civilians, to put in their black and white views onto veteran shinobi who have seen the world in a wide spectrum. "Again?"

"It's for your own safety, Nara-sama." One of the civilian councilmembers piped up but quickly stopped talking when Inoichi stared down at him.

"You are one to talk about safety." Inoichi shot back at the man, jaw clenched. Said councilmember looked shortly offended but backed down with a huff. That is one idiot down, and half a village worth more to go.

"Even if you are known as the smartest man in the Land of Fire." One of the more ignorant members stated. "You are by far o-"

"Actually…My son is giving me a run for that title." Shikaku interrupted him with a yawn. "The kid has an innate thirst for knowledge."

Almost everyone shrugged their shoulders in agreement.

"Making friends from different walks of life." Fugaku mentally nodded his head, Itachi is starting to spend more time at the Nara compound than in his own home, Inochi and Choza nodded their heads in agreement, their kids are complaining about how bored they are without their friend to bother. "Mysteries and solving problems."

"Does your son know about Uzumaki's secret?" Danzo asked Shikaku.

"Not yet." Shikaku responded he stared at Danzo with a calculated expression. "He will soon, he has been questioning why everyone hates Naruto. Furthermore, I have not told him anything nor has my wife. If the gossip continues on how it is, it won't be long now."

"How do you believe that Shikamaru Nara would respond once he does, Nara-Sama?" Hiruzen asked the Nara.

Shikaku leaned back in his chair. "The first time Shikamaru had once asked me why everyone avoided Naruto like the plague. I asked him what he felt about Naruto; he responded that Naruto is stupid but a funny kid."

-.-

"This is so troublesome." Shikamaru muttered as he wiped his jacket with a rag. "This is going to take forever to take off. Why did you make that guy head explode Raido-sensei, I nearly had him in my trap?"

"He was going to kill you." Raido deadpanned, he pulled out a kunai off his person. "I apologize for trying to save you."

"Apologize after my mom yells at me about ruining another jacket." Shikamaru retorted in disgust, he took off his jacket and stuffed it in his rucksack. Then he took out another jacket and quickly put it on. "Ah, much better."

Raido glowered at the young Nara. "Brat."

"Nah." Shikamaru stuck his tongue out at him before he quickly ran off towards his teammates who were walking along with Enzo.

"Why did I get stuck with those boys?" Raido muttered under his breath as he watched his batch of genin began to discuss the uses of ninja wire. "Oh right, I am the only one that that didn't have a bias about them."

"Excuse me?"

Raido looked down to see Ryuka looking up at him with her jaw clenched. "Yes, Lady Ryuka?"

"What does he supposed to do?" Ryuka demanded, she pointed at Shikamaru. "He never once fought against any of the bandits but he…He just stood there while you and the others did all the work!"

"Ryuka." Lady Tenro hushed her daughter, she gave an apologetic smile to Raido. "My apologies, she is…"

Raido cleared his throat and waved her off politely. "It is quite alright. To answer your questions, you must pay closer attention to Shikamaru. He did most of the work."

-.-

"The other kid is a Nara, isn't he?" Enzo asked Kabuto and Itachi.

Kabuto and Itachi glanced at each other and then at Enzo. They mentally debated how to respond to that after much considering what Enzo wanted to confirm and whom it is about. "Yes, he is."

"He seems…" Enzo tried to say but could not find the words to say.

"Not so lethargic?"

"Unnaturally determined."

"Skilled beyond his age."

"A know it all."

"Troublesome, know it all."

"Devious brat."

"Remember that one time?"

"Ugh, don't even get me started…"

"Or that other time…"

"Or the time that I trapped you both and made you guys do the cha-cha during the market day in the village." Shikamaru deadpanned as he entered the conversation.

Kabuto and Itachi paled. 'He hasn't done that to us…yet.'

"What were you guys talking about?" Shikamaru asked the other three with an eyebrow raised, "If this has to do with my age…"

"It actually has to do with your lineage actually, Shikamaru-kun." Kabuto said with a nervous laugh. As of late, Shikamaru has been practicing his family technique against his teammates, at the most inappropriate times. Now doing the cha-cha during one of the busiest days, market day of all days, no one would never let them down about it. "How you are able to utilize them in the highest manner."

"And how you were able to come up with a plan with precise ease." Itachi said, and then he added in as an afterthought. "As a seasoned Shinobi."

"...That still has to do with my age." Shikamaru deadpanned, staring at his friends with a boring look. "Just because I am four, from the Nara clan and young, it does not mean I am not capable of being Shinobi."

"None of you act like you are actual Shinobi," Enzo stated to Team Four. This was wrong, they were wrong to even pass them off as Shinobi. They seemed more like pacifist than fighters when they do fight they either ensure that all enemies stay alive with the minimum damage or if ordered by their sensei, kill them in the quickest and efficient manner. They leave no room for error. Not what he is used to backing at his village. "None of you have the will to fight."

"I do not like to fight, but if it is necessary." Itachi said glancing up at the older man with an impassive expression, "I will do everything for the village."

"My main goal is to become a great medical-nin." Kabuto said with a smile that does not seem to reach his eyes. "I want to follow the Legendary Slug Princess teachings in the medical arts."

Enzo stared at Shikamaru waiting for the youngest to say his part. All he saw is a pensive look on Shikamaru. "And you?"

"I got bored." Shikamaru stated with a yawn. "And I hate seeing people being treated like trash."

"Which would be the reason why you beat up all the kids that bullied your friends, trash the T&I department more than once, trick the Anbu, prank everyone that even looks at them wrong…" Kabuto counted off all the things that Shikamaru did for his friends.

"Actually, I never really lifted a finger against anyone from the village." Shikamaru stated. "Expect for Naruto, and you guys."

-.-

"Bored, bored, bored, bored… I AM BORED!" Naruto yelled as he hung upside down off a branch bored out of his mind. He had yet again escaped the clutches of the orphanage's handlers, random Anbu/Jonin/Chunin that want to hurt both emotionally and physically/maim/kill him and the random civilian. Normally he would go to the Nara main household or deer ranch but Shikaku has been busy with meetings and Yoshino is at the market. Naruto would have gone with her, but the last thing he needed is for Yoshino to cause a scene over him, again.

'I've already mastered tree and water walking.' Naruto mused as he swayed side-to-side. 'Stinky-sensei is over pilling me with homework. Which seemed so useless compared to what Shikaku-sama has been teaching me…'

"Naruto."

"Hm?" Naruto looked down to see a kid from the orphanage. "Oh hey, Jun."

Jun is the same age as Naruto and his bunkmate at the orphanage; he has short black hair, dark eyes, and demi pale skin. He has been living at the orphanage for the past month. "Mi is looking for you again

Mi, the orphanage primary caretaker, had made Naruto's life at the orphanage a literal living hell. It if was not for the Nara clan, Naruto was not sure if he would have lived any longer under Mi care.

"What does that old hag want now?" Naruto said as he let go of the branch and landed in front of Jun with a light thud. "Because you know how she looks for whatever excuse to punish me."

"No, she wants you to redo your room." Jun said with a monotone voice. "I am moving out."

"What?" Naruto said taken aback, "What happened?"

"…I am being taken in by one of the elders of the village." Jun stated he signaled for Naruto to follow him to the orphanage.

"Which one? The mummy face?"

"..."

To be continued…

R/R.


	8. Chapter 8

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"I told you that it would have been troublesome." Shikamaru deadpanned as he watched Ryuka rubbed her forehead that began to blossom in a horrible shade of purple. "I would say, use your head, but that ended horribly for you."

It has been a couple of weeks since they left the village reason why it's taking so long is due to Lady Tenro. Out of respect for the woman, Team Four kept their thoughts unheard as it seemed that Enzo and Ryuka are in denial at the fact the woman is obviously sick. Arrival time to their destination is more than they anticipated. Every waking second Ryuka has been challenging Team Four to a fight, mostly up against Shikamaru, along with constant stops to allow Lady Tenro to rest and the occasional bandit attack. Right now, the adults are in a teashop while Team Four and Ryuka found themselves a field to rest up a bit.

Ryuka glared at him as she rubbed her forehead. "Shut up, how do you even consider that a fight!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'm from the Nara clan, and we don't exactly fight head-on, that's too troublesome. This team was created to deal with diplomacy missions. Politics."

"You, in politics." Ryuka snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Aren't you a little young for that?"

Shikamaru deadpanned look deepened. "Really… Didn't you learn anything just now?"

"Now, now." Kabuto smiled, he stood in-between the younger youths. "Shikamaru-san, it is rather obvious that Ryuka-chan has no exact knowledge of our village, Konoha…Seeing as she has no clue who she just challenges to a fight."

"Hey, I didn't fight against her." Shikamaru said defending himself, he raised an eyebrow at everyone that was giving him a look. "I didn't hit, stab, punch, or even use a single jutsu against her. She charged at me and I only stepped away from her not my fault she rammed headfirst into a tree."

"He does have a point." Itachi pointed out. "Shikamaru is not one to start fights, he only finishes them."

"There's a difference?" Ryuka asked.

"Fighting without reason is pointless, fighting for someone or something you care about is everything." Shikamaru said he rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. "I am so tired…Carry me Kabuto?"

"You shouldn't have exerted yourself so much Shikamaru-kun." Kabuto chastised the young Nara but never the less helped Shikamaru climb on his back to give him a piggyback ride.

"Had to protect you guys." Shikamaru grumbled under his breath, his head lulled into Kabuto's neck and quickly fell asleep. "Friends…"

"Is it four 'thirty already?" Itachi mused he carried Kabuto's belongings.

"Is it already four 'thirty." Raido called out as he appeared with Enzo and his wife walked into the clearing.

"Right on time too." Itachi said to Raido. "Are we set to leave now?"

"Yes, if we continue with the same progress, we are in right now we should arrive in three to four days." Raido said scratching he cheek, "After that, we have to book it to the Chunin Exams in Wind Country."

"Ryuka!" Lady Tenro exclaimed, she quickly took her daughter into her grasp. "What happened?"

Ryuka looked down, her face completely red in embarrassment. "I tripped…"

"You challenged Shikamaru again didn't you Ryuka." Enzo started shaking his head at her daughter's antics. He got his answer when Ryuka tensed. "You should have learned by now… You need a different tactic to go up against him."

Kabuto, Itachi, and Raido sweatdropped, they had (in vain apparently) thought Enzo said something different that would have had Ryuka stop challenge Shikamaru or the rest of them.

"I don't wanna break into the Anbu Headquarters again…fishcake…" Shikamaru grumbled in his sleep, breaking the semi-awkward silence.

-.-

"What are we going to do?" Yoshino whispered to her husband, they were in their main bedroom in the Nara Main household. She stood next to the door while Shikaku leaned against the wall and stared out of the window. "We can't allow them to do this."

"I know." Shikaku responded he stuffed his hands in his pockets as he thought about what has been happening in the last couple of weeks and it all revolves around Naruto. In the last couple of weeks, they had seen less and less of Naruto. Not because they have been busy with other things, but because of the orphanage and the civilian councilmembers. The orphanage has been intimidating Naruto to stay in the orphanage, they did this by harming the other children (mainly the ones that Naruto managed to be friends with) and explosion. The civilian councilmembers have been spreading nasty rumors about the main reasons the Nara clan had taken a great liking to Naruto and even saying it in Naruto's face that they pity Naruto and plan on using him for their own use.

Things have been looking bad, but only for a short while, the latter ended abruptly when Naruto stated that it would be too troublesome for the Nara Clan to do anything in such nature and his resolve stayed strong. Plus, the Yamanaka, Akimichi and even the Uchiha clans had quickly diminished the rumors that spread around the village. Even with all of that, Naruto is still in the clutches of the Orphanage. What could they do that would not be too troublesome and not have the council on their backs about it?

Of course, the first thing that both Shikaku and Yoshino first brought up is adopting Naruto, the rest of the clan were in full agreement, but the only issue would be, surprisingly not the council but Naruto. He is afraid that if he leaves the orphanage then the caretaker, Mi, and the other occupants would harass one of his friends there.

"…Ah, screw it," Shikaku said under his breath as he pushed himself away from the wall. "I'm going out."

"Where are you going?" Yoshino asked with an eyebrow raised. "Shikaku!"

"I'm going to fix things." Shikaku stated with no hint of his usual boring composure.

-.-

"Don't be so down, Lee. I'm sure that you can still be an awesome ninja." Naruto said to comfort one of the other orphans, Rock Lee. Rock Lee formally used to live with distant relatives until they dumped him in the orphanage after they found out about his disability. "Come on Lee think positive."

"How do I do that Naruto-kun?" Lee said with a sniffle. "I cannot use any chakra…"

"Well, my chakra is out of whack." Naruto said with a shrug. "But I am working on that."

"What do you mean by that?" Lee asked him. "I saw you use chakra to walk on water and on trees?"

"Days of pain and humiliation." Naruto deadpanned, tears suddenly ran down his cheeks at the memory. "I have a friend that has been helping me and patient enough to deal with my antics. He may not seem like it, but he is completely sadistic and enjoys my pain."

"Isn't he the renowned prodigy from the Nara Clan." Lee asked tilting his head to the side.

"Yes, yes he is." Naruto said with a nod, he crossed his arms over his chest. "That lazy bastard has an IQ over 200, Raido-sensei had him tested. He is a genius, he uses his mind to fight and only one or two jutsu's and it is game over for anyone against him. The only thing I beat him at is taijutsu, he sucks at it."

"You actually beat him," Lee said astonished.

"Only in taijutsu." Naruto confirmed. "He says I'm too unpredictable and too troublesome to come up with something to beat me."

"It is good to know that you have such a good friend." Lee sighed sadly.

"Lee-kun! Someone wants to meet you." Mi called out in a shrill voice causing both boys to wince. "You too Naruto-kun!"

Lee and Naruto winced at the shrillness of the voice and tensing at the added suffix to their name. Mi wanted something or she is trying to get out of trouble.

-.-

"I wonder how the child is like, I hope he holds the Will of Fire close to his heart, is he-"

"Guy…shut up." Shikaku said stated, trying to wave off a headache that was induced by the constant questions from Might Guy. He had talked Guy into taking in a certain orphan. The two stared at Mi, who had a smile that was too fake and rehearsed.

Shikaku had heard from the shadows how Mi run the orphanage and treated the children here. It was obvious she is only nice and just towards those that are in her favor, the others not so much. Demanding perfection and control in a place where there is only chaos. Her way of ensuring perfect results with hatred, sorrow or being forced to join a certain organization. Naruto had told Shikaku about his treatment in the orphanage but to his own dismay, the Uzumaki had told him to stay away from that he himself would take care of it.

'Now I am taking care of it.' Shikaku thought with his neutral bored expression.

"I swear you hag, I didn't do it." A loud bodacious yell came down the hall causing different reactions from the three. Shikaku smirked, Guy looked at him for confirmation and Mi's expression soured. "And we both know that you have no proof!"

"Naruto-kun, at least show some respect!"

"Bah! She deserves it!"

"Naruto." Shikaku called out, in response, loud footsteps came tumbling towards them and out came out a confused Naruto and a…are those his actual eyebrows. He looked back and forth between Guy and the other bushy-browed child, the similarities were…unsettling. He had thought Naruto was extravagating, but this is overboard. "This is your friend, Rock Lee, right?"

"Whoa…" Naruto looked up at Guy with amazement, he then looked at his friend. "He has bigger eyebrows than you, Lee!"

To be continued…

R/R.


	9. Chapter 9

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"This is mine."

"Yes, it is."

"All mine."

"Yes."

"Mine."

"This is all yours." Yoshino said pushing Naruto gently into a well-lit room. The room is an average size room with a light wooden bed frame with orange and black comforters and pillows right below a large window in the room, a nightstand, a dresser, and a desk. Decorated all around the room are random plants. "Do you like it?"

Naruto looked around the room with unshed tears, he had never seen this room before and he has been at the Nara home multiple times. He mostly stayed in Shikamaru's room or in another room. He tightly gripped a small bag that held his belongings, mostly things he primarily needed at his stay at the orphanage, all the rest of his things were already in the Nara home for safekeeping. "Mine, mine."

"It's yours, now enjoy it." Shikaku said, with a lazy smile.

Naruto grinned widely, he let out a loud whoop running towards his new bed and jumped on it. "It's soooo comfy…Does this mean I can stay here permanently?"

"Yes…I already talked to the Hokage about it."

_Earlier…_

"It is better for Naruto's sake that he stays in the orphanage, Shikaku." Hiruzen said as he smoked out of his wooden pipe. "I am doing my best that he stays safe from everyone."

"From whom exactly, Lord Hokage." Shikaku asked staring at the elder Konoha council members with what could be perceived as a look of anger that only a Nara could do, "From outsiders? What we want is for Naruto to be safe in the village."

"It is in the interest of the village tha-" Koharu began to say but was cut off as Shikaku raised his hand to silence her and the other elders.

"We all know that even if all of you are the grand elders of the village." Shikaku drawled out, he looked at each of the council members, Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado as he continued. "I have the final word in what happens in my Clans land. Is that understood?"

All tightlipped, they nodded. They could not go behind the words of the Nara's head due to a promise made even before any of them were born.

"Good." Shikaku yawned as he turned around to leave. "The sooner I have Naruto live with my family, there is less of a possibility of him to turning rogue and bent on revenge on everyone that treated him like crap and wanted to kill him. Why would anyone treat someone that holds the power to destroy a village and crap is beyond me?"

With that Shikaku left the room leaving the others in their thoughts.

"It's been less than five years since the Nara used that power against…us." Danzo muttered under his breath, "All for what!"

"Danzo." Hiruzen said sharply, Danzo huffed but remained quiet.

"The last time he used that power was to protect the child." Koharu said in memory of that time ago.

_End of Flashback…_

"Everything is taken care of." Shikaku said with a slight smile. "Now it's getting pretty late, get some rest."

"My bed?"

"Just get some sleep brat."

-.-

"Finally." Raido let out a sigh of relief as he and the others entered Yumegakure. "We finally made it…"

"I do not want to fight you!" Shikamaru snapped at Ryuka. "Raido-Sensei, can we leave like now?"

"Just fight me!" Ryuka demanded of the Nara.

"I do not want to fight you." Shikamaru said, he quickly ran off in a seemingly random direction. "You troublesome girl!"

"What was that!" Ryuka shouted and quickly chased off after Shikamaru.

"We are so close, yet so far from all this nonsense." Itachi muttered under his breath, as he began to follow the two younger children. "I am going to go after them, it seems that Shikamaru finally had enough."

"Tell him to hurry it up, and not to provoke any of the locals." Raido sighed resisting the urge to pull his hair out. They are far behind schedule, they have at least one or two more hours of daylight and they have exactly five days to get to wind country. "We have to leave soon."

"What is your student going to do with my daughter?" Lady Tenro asked worriedly.

"He is finally accepting her challenge, Lady Tenro." Kabuto said with a smile. "The moment we left the village, Shikamaru had begun to plan out all the ways to fight against Ryuka-chan."

"…He's been planning this hasn't he?" Enzo asked Raido, all he got as a response is silence from the Jonin.

"Shikamaru-kun did not want to fight against Ryuka-chan while on the mission." Kabuto said fiddling with his glasses. "He has been planning this to ensure that he does not get the blame."

-.-

"This is a drag." Shikamaru yawned as he stood across from Ryuka, who was trapped in a Kagemane. "I guess I should have expected less from you. What a drag."

Ryuka gritted her teeth, she only had managed to get in a few hits but Shikamaru had managed to block and counter her every step of the way. Right when she thought she had him, the Nara was always several steps ahead of him. Now she is at his clutches. "I will make you pay…"

Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his jacket's pockets and Ryuka mimicking his movements every step of the way. "Look…I need to conserve my chakra because we have to leave soon and I don't want to waste it on fighting against you."

"I am going to kill you!" Ryuka yelled at him and continued to struggle to no avail.

"Hm…" Shikamaru smirked before he puffed out in a gray smoke as he did Ryuka stumbled forward and fell down face first.

"I am going to kill him…"

-.-

"That was rather harsh." Itachi murmured to Shikamaru as they ran towards the main gates of Yumegakure. "She is going to seek revenge."

"Wouldn't be the first." Shikamaru snorted, he rubbed his shoulder and winced as he did. "She sure packs a punch though."

"Have Kabuto look at it." Itachi mused.

The two quickly arrived at the main gates to only see Kabuto conversing with an older man. Whatever the conversation was about, it was obvious that the man had a clear dislike toward Kabuto but the latter seemed to take it in stride. "I assure you Gensui-san, Konoha is more than capable care of our own," Kabuto glanced over his shoulder and waved at Itachi and Shikamaru. "Hey, guys."

Gensui glared down at Kabuto and at the other two boys, his glare deepened as he walked off.

"An elder of the village." Kabuto stated to his teammates as they walked towards the gate. "He has great distaste towards foreign Shinobi."

"Where's Raido-Sensei?" Shikamaru asked he kept looking over his shoulder. "We have to go."

"He has to talk to our clients before we leave, it won't be that long before he returns." Kabuto answered him, he raised an eyebrow at his younger teammate. "Is something that matter?"

"Besides the obvious no," Shikamaru responded, he looked around nervously. "I probably won't have that long."

"You pissed off Ryuka didn't you?"

"For all of our safety, I am going to go hide…"

-.-

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I….BY THE RAMEN GODS!" Naruto screamed, he pointed in disbelief at the kid in front of him. "WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU!"

Standing in front of him is the new and not so improved Rock Lee. A bowl haircut, a green spandex suit, orange leg warmers, and his eyebrows seemed to have grown from the last time he had seen him. Which was two days ago…

"What do you mean Naruto-kun?" Lee asked him with a confused look. "I am wearing new clothes that big brother gave me."

"Your big brother has horrible taste in style." Naruto deadpanned with clear distaste.

"I would say the same about your choice of clothing as well." Lee said pointing at Naruto's clothes.

Naruto is wearing a neon orange t-shirt, bright yellow shorts, and red sandals. Tied around his neck, is a green handkerchief with the Nara Clan symbol sewn on to it. "I made a bet with Shikaku-sama that I could easily sneak into Anbu HQ undetected while wearing this."

"Impossible!" Lee said taken aback by such a thing. "How do you even know where it is at and how do you expect to not get caught?"

"Actually…" Naruto took out multiple photographs and showed them to Lee. The photos are of random Anbu either lounging around, walking down endless halls, meetings, and other things. "I almost got caught by Dog."

Naruto pulled out a photo of an Anbu with a dog mask and silver hair, the Anbu had his nose deep in an orange book. "Right when I thought I was caught, he started to giggle weirdly, and I ran off."

"…You are truly someone with great talent." Lee said in awe at his friend accomplishment.

"Yeah…If you would excuse me, I have to go back home." Naruto said tugging on the collar of his shirt with a clear look of disgust. "Orange is my favorite colors but this is pushing it too far. Seriously though…Is everything alright with you?"

"Everything is more than alright, Naruto-kun." Lee said, he then promptly gave him a good guy pose. His teeth sparkled as he did so. "He taught me this!"

"…As much I appreciate the fact that creepy guy took you in…this is taking things too far." Naruto said shaking his head as he tried to purge his mind of the sight. "Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you today is that I am going to be away for a while."

"Where are you going?" Lee asked him. "How long would you be gone?"

"It's another Hidden Village, Sunagakure." Naruto answered with a shrug. "Something about some exam that is taking place over there."

-.-

"Finally…we are here." Shikamaru heaved out, he fell to his knees as he and the rest of Team Four walked past the main gate of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. He landed face-first in the sand. "So…tired…"

"You are humiliating us, Shikamaru." Itachi sighed, his voice remained neutral, but his expression showed clear annoyance. He reached down and grabbed Shikamaru by his rucksack and proceeded to drag him.

"Don't care." Shikamaru grumbled as he was dragged by Itachi. "I never cared, and I never will."

"Where are we supposed to go to first, Raido-sensei." Kabuto asked as he used his backpack as a hat to hide his face from the sun.

"We have to uh…" Raido looked around the village.

"You have no clue what you are doing don't you Raido-Sensei?" Shikamaru asked he glanced up at his teacher. His face dirty from the sand. "Admit it."

"…You guys are my first team." Raido defended weakly. "This is all new to me."

Itachi and Kabuto glanced at each other and then at Shikamaru. Itachi dropped Shikamaru, who let out a loud oomph, and proceeded to dig through his pocket and took out a large pile of ryo out. "Why do I even bother."

"There goes all my savings for that mission." Kabuto sighed unhappily as he also took out a pile of ryo out of his pocket.

Shikamaru snickered, he sprang up and stretch up with a loud yawn. He took the piles of cash from his teammates with a smirk. "I told you guys that Raido-sensei is completely clueless when it comes to being a teacher."

"You were betting against me." Raido said aghast that his own students thought so little of him.

"You just make things so easy." Shikamaru said offhandedly as he counted off his money. "Lunch is on you guys."

To be continued…

R/R.


	10. Chapter 10

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"… You mean to tell us…that we are EARLY!"

Rang throughout the entire village of Suna, to top it off, in the middle of the night and the locals seemed to be used to the scream. They didn't bother to turn their heads to see what was going on as they feared it could possibly lead to their death.

"I told you guys that this my first time taking in a team." Raido defended himself once again as he stood in the corner cowering away from his genin team. "And a Tokubetsu Jonin to boot, I shouldn't even be dealing with this until I am a full-fledged Jonin. The other teams from our village should be arriving in a week for the Chunin Exams. "

"I vote that he has to sleep on the floor with no blanket." Shikamaru grumbled with clear sleep deprivation on his face.

"Or a futon." Itachi added in, his face also had clear signs of sleep deprivation.

"And a pillow." Kabuto said taking Raido pillow and throwing it outside the window of the hotel room they were currently staying at, "If you play nice you can get the couch."

Raido looked over the boys to see a couch that looked like it is made of stone. He mentally sweatdropped. 'That would be far worse…'

-.-

"We still have a week until the others arrive and half a week after that until the Chunin Exams start." Kabuto stated to his teammates as they walked around Suna. The locals were wary of them seeing as they are foreigners, some gave them glares while others gave them looks of worry. The latter left them unsettled, just a tiny bit. "What now?"

"It's hot…" Shikamaru complained, he had taken off his jacket and tied it around his waist, now showing that he has on a mesh shirt with teal lining. "There's no grass, no clouds, no shade, no trees. Only sun, sand, and torture."

"Why don't we get something to eat, it's past noon." Itachi said, he pointed at a small restaurant just a good way in front of them. "We hadn't eaten anything since last night."

"That would be a good idea." Kabuto nodded, as he headed towards the restaurant. The other two followed promptly.

As they headed towards their destination, a flash of red caught Shikamaru attention. "I'm going to call for a weather check, see you guys at the hotel later."

With that, Shikamaru wondered off in a seemingly random direction.

"There he goes again..." Kabuto said, wiping away a fake tear. "Off to help another lost soul."

Itachi ignored Kabuto and began to walk faster to get away from the silver-haired nin.

-.-

A young boy of about four years old with fair skin, short spiky auburn hair, pale blue-green eyes and distinct black rings around eyes, looked around the corner before he ran behind a dumpster. The young boy fidgeted, he hoped that none of the foreign Shinobi had seen him. His uncle had told them that they were very mean and would hurt him if they see him.

"Why are you hiding?"

"Gah!" The redhead yelped and fell backward and landed on his bottom in panic. He looked up to see a kid his age staring down at him with a raised eyebrow, the kid was obviously a foreigner as he had never seen him before in the village. "W-what do you want!"

Shikamaru tsk'ed, he looked around to see that no one was around. "Why are you hiding? No one is chasing you?"

"Huh?"

"You don't talk much don't you?" Shikamaru said scratching his head in boredom. "What a drag, what's your name?"

"G-G-Gaara..." Gaara stuttered out in confusion. This was strange, no one had ever asked for his name before. Normally everyone would either say his name in disdain, fear or call him a monster. The only person who ever showed some kindness is his uncle. His siblings used to show him kindness, but… things changed.

"Gaara…" Shikamaru repeated the name, he shrugged without much of a care. "You wouldn't happen know where the park is would you?"

Gaara stayed silent, stunned. The next set of words caused the young boy to turn red in embarrassment. "Do you want to play tag!"

Shikamaru once again raised an eyebrow. "Sure, but do you want to eat first. I'm starving and I still have money left over from a bet."

"S-sure!" Gaara smiled brightly at the prospect of someone to play with that did not seem to fear him.

-.-

"Like I was saying..." Shikamaru said as he pointed at Gaara with his chopsticks, as he and Gaara walked towards the park with take-out boxes in hand. "He is an idiot by all rights but a funny guy you want to be around with."

"Why do people hate him?" Gaara asked him nervously, he swallowed his food thickly at the story that his new friends are telling him. It…reminded him too much of himself.

"Don't know." Shikamaru shrugged, he stuffed his chopsticks in his food and took out a piece of sautéed beef. "Everyone always calling him a fox, demon, monster or something of that nature. To me, he is just Naruto, the idiot, brat and the guy who always puts his friends ahead of himself no matter the risk…"

Gaara stopped and stood still as they reached the park. There were kids having the time of their lives playing with each other or with their parents or caretakers. It all changed when they saw him.

Shikamaru continued to eat his lunch as he watched the playground go from happy and calm to panic to right down depressing. In a matter of fewer than five minutes, that park is empty and the only thing that can be heard is the creaking from the still swinging swing set, merry go round and the echoes of screaming children. Shikamaru stuffed his chopsticks in the take-out box and threw it in a trashcan all the while doing this he only had a bored expression. "Well, I'm stuffed…Swings or merry go round?"

For Gaara's part, the youngest child of the Kazekage looked down disheartened at the sight. "Sorry, …this happens a lot…"

"And I'm used to it." Shikamaru said as he waved at Gaara to follow him to the swing set. "Come on, before it gets dark."

-.-

"How was your day, Shikamaru-kun?" Kabuto asked as he sat on one of the three beds in the room that Team Four had rented for their remainder stay in Suna.

"Eh, just like any other day back home." Shikamaru said as he created a pillow fort with all the pillows in the room. "Everyone is such a pain, how about you guys?"

"We staked out of the village for the exams." Itachi said he sat in the corner of the room sitting on a wooden chair. He sat there sharpening his weapons, "Nothing more than sand, sand and more sand. In other words, we are going to end up walking into a trap if we are not careful."

"Are we ready for it though?" Kabuto asked he stared at his teammates for any sort of confirmations. "To enter the Chunin Exams where people actually do die in."

"Well, the way I see it..." Shikamaru began to say, he took Itachi's blanks off the bed and dragged it towards his for his fort. "It's just another mission, for the village. A mission that could spark issues for everyone around in participation, we need to showcase our abilities and show that Konoha is still as strong as ever."

"Where did you get that?" Raido asked as he sat on the uncomfortable sofa looking into several scrolls. He looked up and sweat-dropped, Shikamaru had not okay taken the pillows and blankets, but also the mattresses and other random items to create a fort that took up more than half of the room. "Shikamaru…what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I am doing?" Shikamaru deadpanned, he threw the last blanket over the fort and promptly jumped into it. "I am making a fort."

-.-

"He never once ran off, cursed at me or scream." Gaara said with much enthusiasm to his uncle Yashamaru, he ran around his room telling him his day with the boy with little to none enthusiasm. "He even got me lunch!"

"You seemed to have a good day." Yashamaru said with a smile, but it did not match his eyes. In the back of his mind, he took done everything that Gaara is telling him about this so-called friend of his. "What is he like?"

"Well." Gaara plopped on a giant pillow. "He didn't even bat an eye when the playground was cleared up by the other children. All he did was ask me if I wanted to go to the swings or merry-go-round, he's great!"

"What's his name, Gaara?"

"Er…" Gaara hesitated, he glanced down at the floor as if he could find his answer there. "He…never told me his name."

"Gaara, that boy could have been an enemy in disguise," Yashamaru said in a soft tone, he did not want to provoke Gaara.

Gaara looked up with determination and sand began to swirl around him. "He's not! He said that that it would be too troublesome and too stupid to start something in a foreign village. Even if his village is a three-day run!"

'Three days…Leaf Nin…'

"He's here for the chunin exams too!"

To be continued…

R&R


	11. Chapter 11

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"From what we had gathered, the Leaf Shinobi you wanted us to check out is a…" A Suna Shinobi hesitated as he read the report he had to read. The team was obviously, here for the exams as they already signed up for it, but…what he is reading is making him rethink the minds of Konoha by a long shot. "The team leader is Raido Namiashi, a Tokubetsu Jonin that is highly regarded for his unique set of skills…"

Rasa, the current Kazekage, brow furrowed at that. Why would Konoha of all villages have a Tokubetsu Jonin be leading a group of genin, green behind the ear genin. "His students? What of them. Yura?"

"The eldest is of the three genins, 11 years old, an orphan." Yura said as he read the report. "He is noted to have medical knowledge. The second is the renowned Prodigy of the Uchiha..."

Rasa did not need Yura to explain that one, everyone knew of the Prodigy from either from reports or whispers. Itachi Uchiha, the name brought a bad taste to his mouth.

"The last of one just graduated from the academy some months ago, it is stated that…" Yura stared down at the report in disbelief, this cannot be right. The reports appear to be wrong, but it is not. "He graduated at the age of four breaking both Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha records…"

"What…?" Rasa said, his eyes narrowed at the news. He must be joking; it is one thing to bring one but two prodigies. Konoha is planning something he is sure of it. They are laughing at him, by sending those children here. No, they were no longer children in the eyes of the law. Once they don that Hitai-ate, it makes them old enough to kill, drink and many other unsavory things that many could not fathom a child could or would do. "What is his name?"

"…" Yura cleared his throat; it was not so much as the age that has him hesitating but the name and the origin of the young Shinobi. "Shikamaru Nara, of the Nara Clan of Konoha."

"What?" Rasa blinked slowly taking that tidbit in. There is no way in hell that a prodigy could come out of that clan!

-.-

_"You two are to follow Gaara for the day…"_

That was going through the heads the older siblings of Temari and Kankuro as they silently followed their younger brother through the village with anxious but determined expressions. Their father had given them is a task and they wanted to appease him. There was no way of saying no not only to their father but also to the Kazekage in their eyes.

"Who is that?" Kankuro whispered rather loudly to his older sister, he pointed at the kid that had his arm around their younger brother's shoulder as he guided him towards a restaurant chatting away about deer and herbal remedies. Two very random topics that should not even be mentioned in the same sentence unless you are speaking to a Nara or with someone with medical knowledge. "He's not from around here isn't he?"

"Of course he's not." Temari whispered her total focus on the pineapple-haired kid with narrowed eyes. "Baki-sensei said that a shinobi from another village has been in contact with Gaara. We have to find out if he is a threat or not."

"Why didn't they get som…are they waving at us?"

"…They are…." Temari gulped with wide eyes. 'Oh, this is bad…'

It was not so much at the fact that Gaara had caught his older siblings. Temari and Kabuto have managed to stay on Gaara good side and have yet to see what the villagers had seen as a monster. It is more geared towards, what would the Kazekage think of them and would do to them once he finds out about this. In addition to that is Baki-Sensei's…extra training…

-.-

"They are my older siblings." Gaara animatedly said as he and Shikamaru sat next to each other and while Temari and Kankuro sat across from them. "This is Temari and Kankuro."

"Yo." Shikamaru gave a short-waved to them before he raised a menu that completely hid him. "I hope this place is good…It looks like a ghost town in here."

True to his word, the only people in the restaurant beside the four are only the workers of the establishment and a couple of random teams of foreign Shinobi, which were here for the exams, eyeing them in suspicion.

Kankuro was about to say something but was interrupted by Temari elbowing him in the stomach. "Oi, what was that for?"

Temari did not say anything as she forced a smile. "Ne, what is your friend's name Gaara?"

"…What is your name?" Gaara asked with realization, he never really had asked for Shikamaru name. The only thing that he called him when others ask is 'friend' or 'lazy dodo'.

Shikamaru lowered down the menu just enough so that it only showed his eyes and up. "Shikamaru Nara of the Hidden Leaf."

Unbeknownst to them, the teachers of the other teams in the restaurant tensed at the mention of the name, clan, and village. The name of the newly named prodigy, a clan renowned for different reasons and the village that seemed to over tower many others…for that moment anyway…

"So that's the brat, eh?" A Mizu shinobi murmured to himself, he eyed the young Nara. He snorted, the kid did not seem all that from what he had heard from down the grapevine as they would say. "Scrawny thing, he won't be alive much longer. That's for sure."

-.-

Bonk!

"That hurt, what was that for?" Gaara sniffled holding his head in pain. He looked at Shikamaru with a tearful expression.

"I told you not to use your sand in dodgeball." Shikamaru deadpanned, he pointed at the sand that swirled around Gaara. It did so in a calm but agitated manner. "You are too dependent on your sand."

"Sorry, it does that on its own…" Gaara murmured out the apology, he dropped his hands and they hung limply at his sides. His head drooped down to avoid eye contact with his first friend.

Bonk!

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!"

Gaara head snapped up to see Kankuro lying on the ground holding his stomach in pain, Temari openly laughed at her brother clutching her sides as she did. Turning around Gaara saw Shikamaru staring at Kankuro with a bored expression. "Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru looked at him with a bored questioning look; an eyebrow raised really. "What? The moron had it coming."

"What did he do?" Gaara asked him taken aback.

"Too troublesome to explain." Shikamaru yawned, he scratched his head as he turned around to face the wall they were using to play their game. His eyes widened when he saw a ball hitting the wall and bouncing off it coming towards him.

"What a drag..." Shikamaru muttered as he flew back and landed on the hot sand with a loud groan.

Silence…

Gaara began to laugh, he fell on his bottom clutching his sides as he watched Shikamaru groan in pain from not only from the hit but also from the hot sand he landed on.

"Does this mean I win?" Temari asked no one in particular, she had collected the ball that hit Shikamaru.

"Curse you troublesome woman." Shikamaru groaned in pain.

"What was that you brat?" Temari demanded, she temporarily forgot about everything as her focus was on Shikamaru.

Shikamaru stared at Temari, he only stared up at her with a challenging look. "Troublesome. Woman."

Bonk!

Temari threw the ball onto Shikamaru's stomach, which promptly flew back into her grasp.

"Gaara…you have a troublesome sister." Shikamaru wheezed out in a fetal position.

Temari shot a look at her younger brother, in response; Gaara gave a deer in the headlights look and quickly had his sand cover him in a dome-like structure.

Shikamaru lifted his head just a bit to glace around. Gaara is clearly hiding in his sand like an igloo, Kankuro is attempting to get back up and glaring at him, Temari is staring at him with a confused expression. "Is there a reason why both of you are more or less distant from your own brother?"

Temari and Kankuro glanced at each other not knowing what to say or how to answer it without revealing too much.

"Let me guess… A classified secret?" Shikamaru deadpanned, he stood up with a groan. "Punishable by death."

"Uh… yeah." Kankuro said, his brows furrowed down at the younger boy. "How did you figure that out?"

"Kankuro." Temari said warningly, she glared at her brother to shut up.

"I really hate those types of secrets." Shikamaru muttered, he stood back up and shook himself to get rid of any lingering sand on himself. "Then again, they are the most enticing secrets to solve."

"What does en-tight-eng means?" Kankuro sputtered out.

Bonk!

-.-

"It appears that the Nara child has no intentions towards Gaara of any kind." Yashamaru said to Rasa, he stood a good respectable distance away from the desk.

"Are you positive about that?" Rasa said with clear dislike, the fact that a Konoha nin befriending Suna Weapon. "Has his existence been compromised?"

"No." Yashamaru said with a shake of his head. "From what Temari had told me about Shikamaru Nara, he prefers to play random games or lounge around and do nothing. He had physically hit Gaara for breaking a rule and the only thing Gaara did in response is complain about the pain."

"He didn't attack him?" Rasa said taken aback. He did not whether or not he should be furious or relieved. Furious at that fact he seemed to be losing control over Gaara and relieved that his youngest did not hurt or kill the Konoha native. The last thing he needed is a war over that complication.

"No." Yashamaru said he downplayed what had happened. The last thing he wanted is for Temari and Kankuro to be punished for being children. "If you don't mind me asking but…How come you haven't you forbade Gaara from interacting from the Nara yet?"

Rasa paused, why hasn't he? Perhaps it was the fact that Gaara has someone to interact with, someone that showed no fear or any sort of hesitation around him. The father side of him that wanted to see his son have some sort of childhood, alas he cannot be a father in this sort of situation. "The exams start tomorrow…we will see how long he will survive until then."

To be continued…

R/R.


	12. Chapter 12

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"The moment you cross these doors, you are on the path on beco-"

"We know already." Shikamaru yawned as he walked passed Raido.

"We already know the consequences and the upcoming challenges, Raido-Sensei." Itachi said following Shikamaru with clear disinterest.

"If you don't mind." Kabuto smiled cheerfully, he patted Raido on the shoulder and quickly followed his teammates.

Raido stood there mouth agape, twitching excessively and total disarray. 'Do they even know how long it took me to come up a speech for this occasion? Weeks! Now they just do this!'

"This is the last team I will ever take in." Raido growled under his breath.

"That's a pity!"

"We could do better!"

"Don't listen to them, you are just a noob!"

Raido shoulders slumped down as he made his way towards his designation for all the teachers whose students were in the chunin exams. "My students have no respect for me at all…"

-.-

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?"

Team Four had barely entered the main hall where all the chunin hopefuls had gathered up for the first portion of the exams. Due to their age and size, everyone had begun to judge them immediately.

Standing in from of Team Four is a single team of Mizu genin. The oldest is 17 and is physically imposing, tall, muscular and shark-like appearance with blue hair, bluish-grey skin, gill-like facial markings along with sharp teeth. The other two were noticeably younger than him, standing on the shark's kid left is a young lanky kid with pale skin, short spiky hair, brown eyes and very small eyebrows like his teammate he also has sharp teeth. He kept looking around the area, it was rather clear he was uncomfortable being out in the open. The last member of that team seemed to offset the intimidating factor. The remaining member had a childlike appearance and seemed to be the same age as Kabuto. With a head of messy hazel-gray hair, pink pupil-less eyes, the only thing that seemed to go with that factor would be a stitch like-scar running down his left eye, unlike his teammates, who have massive swords, he is carrying a staff with a giant green flower on its end.

"Eh, just a bunch of green eared genin, Kisame." The smallest of the three waved off. "There's no game with messing around with a bunch of newbies anyway."

Team Four gave the short one a pointed look. Shikamaru was about to say something when Kabuto and Itachi both slapped their hands over his mouth to prevent him from saying anything.

"We do not want you to cause a predicament for us Shikamaru-kun." Kabuto said with a sickly sweet voice, eyebrow twitching in total annoyance.

"I prefer not to get disqualified." Itachi said with almost the same exact look as Kabuto has on his.

Shikamaru grumbled something out to his teammates.

"We are fun, we prefer to not get in trouble." Kabuto tutted him.

Shikamaru grumbled again.

"If you do not behave properly, I will tell your mother about your behavior." Itachi said bluntly, with that it caused the Nara to shut up with a look of total freight.

"Oh, it seems that the little baby is afraid of his mommy." Kisame taunted him.

"You would too." Kabuto shivered at the particular memory. "His mother could easily put the fear into anyone with a single look."

"I heard from mother that if she hadn't hung up her vest, she would have become quite a jonin." Itachi added in about the Nara matriarch.

"When she talks, you listen." Shikamaru said, pulling Itachi's and Kabuto's hands away from his mouth to speak. "Or you will get punished for it, better do as she says."

-.-

Yoshino clicked her tongue as she stared down at a store clerk who is currently cowering in fear. If only the man had not spoken against her and the Nara Clan about the adopting Naruto Uzumaki into the clan. Since then about more or less of the village population, mostly civilians really or people that have a huge grudge against the jinchuriki in general, have been…making things difficult for the Nara clan. More so towards Yoshino, what many do not know is that she is a former Chunin hopeful Jonin before settling down. Many see her as a typical housewife. Reason for this, she hardly ever really comes out of the Nara compound.

Of course, she goes to visit her friends, the Akimichi or Yamanaka clans, not as often as she would have preferred but still. Shikaku does all the necessary shopping. Even 'till this day, Yoshino still does not know what prompted her husband to do that. Yoshino usually spends her days either cooking for her husband and boys now, tending to the deer that roamed around the Nara forest, in her gardens and perfecting remedies that have been passed down for several generations within the Nara clan.

Now, with Shikaku gone Yoshino had decided to go out and to do some shopping… Now what seemed to be a peaceful day for her went down the drain for anyone on her path that changed that.

"You are overcharging me three times the amount." Yoshino said in a tone that promised pain. She would know, Shikaku always give her the receipts to keep count of everything that happens. The shop owner attempted to come up with an excuse but quickly was silenced when Yoshino glare deepened. Things would have gotten bloodier if it weren't for Choza and Inochi wives hadn't walked by and managed to calm down the Nara Matriarch after she gave the shop owner a black eye and several broken bones.

-.-

"You want me to tell you what was written on the paper?" Shikamaru stated bluntly to the proctors of the first portion of the Chunin Exams. He sat alone in a room with three proctors surrounding him all giving him glares. Before the start of the exam, each team had received a paper and ordered to memorize what was on it. It was only a single word, simple really. Until they got separated and interrogated into confessing what was the word. "Too troublesome."

"Look at him trying to be a smartass." One of the proctors snorted with false humor.

"I have a higher IQ than the three of you combined." Shikamaru yawned, he hid a smirked with his hand as he watched all three proctors reacted just as he expected. Anger, denial and more insults that were rather pathetic. "What? That's the truth."

-.-

"Neither, Itachi-kun or Shikamaru-kun would do such thing." Kabuto said shaking his head at the notion of his teammates giving up the secret word.

"What makes you say that kid?"

"We made a deal if that whoever causes the whole team to fail would have to wear a green spandex suit along with orange leg and arm warmers for a whole month…"

"Er…"

"It's sort of an inside joke or sorts…only more humiliating and…" Kabuto trailed off with an obvious shiver. "It is truly the most terrifying things known to mankind."

-.-

"Hm…"

"Uh…"

"Is he alright?"

"I don't know…"

"Check!"

"Oi! Kid are you alright?"

Itachi stared straight ahead not moving a single muscle, he was slouched against his seat and his chest barely moved.

"Crap, is he dead?"

"We are in so much trouble!"

"Imagine if this causes a war?"

A soft snore interrupted their scrabble; all three proctors turned their heads to see Itachi snoring.

"HEY WAKE UP!" One of the proctors shoved his foot against Itachi's chair.

Itachi, for his part, only raised his head to momentarily stare at said proctor before his head drooped and the snoring continues.

"He's mocking us…" Another proctor said, ground his teeth together.

"Ain't that the truth." Itachi said under his breath.

-.-

"Finally….We are here." Shikaku said with an obvious look of fatigue. He reached towards his back and wrenched Naruto off his back. Whom had latched onto Shikaku's neck through the trek through the harsh sands and still showed no sign of letting go. "Naruto, we're here?"

"Huh?" Naruto lifted his head a bit from his adoptive father's neck. "Finally!"

Shikaku winced at the loudness of Naruto's voice but didn't remark on it. He only chuckled to himself as he watched Naruto's eyes gleam excitedly. "What do you think?"

"I wonder if they sell ramen here?"

"….Hungry already?"

"Well no duh, I'm always hungry."

To be continued…

R/r...


	13. Chapter 13

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"Food, food, food, food, food!" Naruto chanted repeatedly as he and Shikaku sat in a relatively small but well-established tea shop. They sat at the counter sitting side by side as Naruto continued to chant and Shikaku resting his head on the counter resting for a bit. "Shikaku-sama, do you think the food here is any good?"

Shikaku raised his head from his arms and raised an eyebrow at him before letting out a sigh. He had told Naruto multiple times to drop with the honorifics but the boy keeps insisting, even for the fact that he and Yoshino adopted Naruto into the family. It was not that Shikaku wanted Naruto to call him father or anything, the title belongs to an old friend, it just made things look different. "Spicy very spicy."

Naruto hummed in thought, he looked up at Shikaku and start poking him with a pair of chopsticks. "Shikaku-sama?"

"Yes, Naruto?" Shikaku sat up forgoing the nap seeing as Naruto keeps asking question after question.

"Why is it so hot here?"

"We are in the middle of the desert."

"...Shikaku-sama?"

"What?"

"How long are the exams going to take?"

Shikaku paused as the thought that over. "Depends."

"Depends on what?" Naruto asked him with wide eyes.

"Depends on whether or not his team passes each portion of the test." Shikaku said he rubbed the back of his neck as he attempted to come up with a suitable answer for Naruto. "And if he manages to survive."

"Oh." Naruto took that in, he knew about the dangers of being a Shinobi. Shikamaru had told him all about his missions and…his first kill. Along with having people blaming him for killing people that he still has no clue about, death seems to be everywhere but so far. "Shikamaru is going to be okay though right?"

"We both know him, knowing him the kid would probably walk off before the fights get serious or leave his enemies looking like idiots." Shikaku said as he thought about his son, a typical but yet unusual Nara. 'He's going to be the end of me.'

"Haha, your right!" Naruto laughed, he repeatedly poke Shikaku with his chopsticks. "Shikamaru is going to blow away the competition…in his sarcastic, lazy and sneaky way."

Sitting at the far corner of the teashop, three siblings sat around a table watching this go on. Unlike many places, this tea shop is a sort of neutral ground you could say when it comes to the Kazekage children. To put it bluntly, the owners of the shop do not care if you are rich or have a title of high status. You sit down, be respectful and perhaps they will not poison your food. On a plus note, the teashop has all of the sibling's favorite foods respectively.

Temari and Kankuro had begun to feel more at ease being around their younger brother and seeing as their father had not said anything about it they began to hang out with him. His emotions have been kept in check, no signs of _that _coming out any time soon.

"That guy looks familiar." Kankuro said taking a bite of his food, he kept a close eye on the adult sitting at the bar and couldn't help but compare him to Gaara's and he guesses his friend too, Shikamaru.

"It could be someone from the same clan has him." Temari pointed out, she pointed at the green flak jacket as she drank her tea. "And both are from Konoha by the looks of it."

"That boy…" Gaara whispered as he analyzed Naruto with a critical eye. "Blonde hair, blue eyes, whisker-like scars, taste in kill me colors and…"

Naruto laughed aloud as he's and Shikaku's food arrived.

"Bodacious laughter." Gaara finished, feeling he just confirmed what he was thinking of. "That has to be Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru's friend. Why is he here though?"

"Shikamaru is so going to be in total shock when he sees us!" Naruto laughed through mid-bites of his foods.

"Shikamaru in shock? No." Shikaku said taking a sip of his tea. "He would just shrug and complain about it."

"That his dad is here or his best friend?"

"Said best friend who has a knack for getting in trouble."

"Hey, it's not my fault things happen to me for no reason." Naruto said defending himself he pouted when he saw Shikaku smirk. "Meanie."

"Gaara what are you doing!" Temari and Kankuro whispered loudly as they watched their younger brother get up from his seat to approach Naruto and Shikaku.

"Excuse me?" Gaara squeaked out, all previous determination gone and replaced with fear. What if they reject him or think that he is a liar.

"Huh?" Naruto turned around, his mouth filled to the brim with ramen. "Wha?"

Shikaku stared down at Gaara with a look of boredom, seeing how nervous the kid is his expression softened just a tiny bit. "You need something, kid?"

"Do…d-do yo-you know Shi-Shikamaru?" Gaara gulped and held his breath, unknown to him, his brother and sister had stood at his side. "Shikamaru Nara?"

Naruto quickly slurped down his food, he gave Gaara a slanted expression before his eyes went wide filled with tears and his whole face turned red. "WATER! I NEED WATER! TOO SPICY!"

The Sand Siblings sweatdropped as the watched Naruto fan his tongue as Shikaku ordered something to help Naruto.

-.-

"We passed the first portion of the exam." Kabuto stated plainly as he, Itachi and Shikamaru sat in a huge room with genin that had also passed the same test. Majority of them were from Suna, a couple from Konoha, that one team they had met earlier from Mizu and other generic teams from other random villages.

"That was far too easy." Itachi muttered leaning against a wall and glance around the room uninterested.

"Achoo!" Shikamaru sneezed loudly managing to everyone in the room attention towards his team. "Ugh I ha-achoo- this…"

"Someone must be talking about you Shikamaru-kun?" Kabuto laughed weakly, not liking how everyone was watching them with critical eyes.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered before he sneezed again. "What's next?"

"I've heard that we were supposed to do a sort of survival test but there is a high chance that there is going to be a sandstorm heading in." Itachi whispered to his team, he had sneaked around under the ruse of using the restroom. "They are debating whether or not to set us out or wait until then."

"What exactly do they have planned?"

"They are planning on weeding us out."

-.-

"My tongue…" Naruto wept as he ate an ice-cream cone.

"Can't I go one day without some sort of headache?" Shikaku muttered under his breath, he had his hand up covering his face with a look of clear distress. He glanced through his fingers to glance at the three kids he had more or less invited for some ice cream. "How do you three know my son? Shikamaru."

The Sand Siblings were sharing a large sundae, all their heads snapped at Shikaku's question.

Gaara had some melted chocolate ice cream smeared around his mouth, he and his siblings do not normally get ice cream. It is too expensive and when Shikaku offered to buy them something they were quick to refuse, politely of course. One of the main reasons the shop is still open is for tourists. The siblings were in a for a full surprise when Shikaku ordered them a sundae with all the fixings. "Shikamaru is my friend."

Naruto grumbled something as he ate his ice cream, it almost sounded like. "He's my friend, too!"

Shikaku reached over and patted Naruto hair in an affectionate manner. "There, there now."

Naruto humph but continued to eat his ice cream sullenly, 'Not fair'. Finishing his ice cream, Naruto turned his attention towards the other kids with a wide smile. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki and Shikamaru is my fri…."

Naruto looked over at Shikaku. "Is Shikamaru, my brother, now?"

"Yes." Shikaku said taking a spoonful of the sundae.

"Brother?"

Everyone turned their heads to see Team Four standing at the entrance with Shikamaru standing in the middle with a typical Nara expression. "What are you guys doing here and what do you mean my brother?"

"Your mother and I adopted Naruto into the clan the other day. Congrats, you have a brother now." Shikaku deadpanned.

Plop!

"Did he just…faint?"

To be continued….

R/R.


	14. Chapter 14

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"The second portion of the test will take place tomorrow." Kabuto explained to Shikaku as he carried Shikamaru towards the hotel they were staying at currently. The others were up ahead, Itachi telling Naruto and the Sand Siblings about previous missions that Team Four had undergone. "If the weather does not clear up, then three days."

"Expected." Shikaku grunted in response. The last thing that Suna needed is more drawbacks, having a bunch of genins die in this exam, more than the usual of course would lead to complications from every village from where each team resides. "Be prepared for it."

"Of course." Kabuto nodded, he shifted Shikamaru a bit so that he would not suffocate himself. "The first portion of the test went off easier than anticipated."

"How did it go?" Shikaku asked, wanting to know his son's team did.

"Shikamaru-kun here, managed to confuse the proctors, Itachi angered his and I believe I managed to be afraid of full-grown men wearing green spandex and bowl haircuts." Kabuto snickered at the memory.

"…Shikamaru is starting to be a really bad influence on you," Shikaku said under his breath, he eyed his son with a critical eye and swore that Shikamaru is smirking, "Brat."

-.-

"That was our mission before we came here for the exams." Itachi explained to the younger kids about how Ryuka badgering Shikamaru to a fight. "Once arriving at the designated location, Shikamaru finally took her up on her offer and fought...Well, it was more of capturing her and running off before she can do anything else."

"Shikamaru sure likes to run away." Kankuro snorted, all he heard so far about the young Nara is his way of running away from fights. He should be out there fighting not running.

"It's part of the plan, he mostly deals with stalling and Kabuto and I finish them off." Itachi stated, glancing down at the Kankuro. "If anything, it allows him more time to think of a plan."

"Whatever happened to that one girl that Shikamaru had to deal with?" Temari asked.

"Hm…which one?" Itachi asked with an amused expression. "Remind me which one you wanted to know, I lost count of all the girls that Shikamaru had managed to anger."

A massive tick sign had appeared on the back of Temari's head at the revelation about the young Konoha nin.

Just ahead of them Naruto and Gaara walk side by side talking and catching the eyes of many as they did.

"I'm serious, almost all of the villagers hate me," Naruto said, waving his hands around himself to emphasize his point, "Well…it's mostly the civilian part of the village…and a couple of Anbu…jonin…chunin…and genin…."

"Does everyone hate you that much?" Gaara asked, his eyes filled with worry for his new friend. Sure there were people in the village that hate him, but there was more fear than hate or plain rejection.

"Well…heh." Naruto scratched the back of his head as he nervously laughed. "Most of them hate me because of the pranks I pull."

"Pranks?" Gaara asked curiously.

"Well yeah, pranks." Naruto began to tell Gaara all the pranks he had pulled with Shikamaru before his promotion to genin. "The last prank I pulled with Shikamaru is painting the Hokage's Monument…in plain daylight."

Gaara gasp at the sheer terror, if someone had done something like that here, there would have been dire consequences. Seeing as both Shikamaru and Naruto is still here and alive, meaning that…

"We did get caught though…" Naruto mused as he remembered that day. "Well, I did, by a chunin! The Anbu both impressed and annoyed that they got one-upped by a chunin."

"Shikamaru ran off." Gaara stated plainly, should he surprised? No.

"He was only supposed to pain the first and second, I got the third and fourth." Naruto explained to him. "He finished early and I wanted to add more details to my masterpieces…I should have run when I had the chance…"

Gaara watched uncomfortably as Naruto began to sulk from out of nowhere. "Are you alright Naruto?"

"I miss pranking with Shikamaru…he always has a plan to not get caught…" Naruto said to no one in particular. "But now he has to act all proper or he'll get in trouble by the Old-Man."

-.-

Baki, despite the fact, is still young, is a well-respected and powerful jonin. Loyal and highly trusted but yet ruthless and stern, Baki was assigned a very important mission that required with that precise temperament. He's is going to need it as he runs, discreetly though he doesn't want to alert anyone, around the village looking for his exact mission. The Sand Siblings.

Right around the birth of the youngest son of the Kazekage, Baki was assigned to 'train' them. In better terms, he became their nanny, teacher, confidant and at times…a father-figure. So when the Kazekage had sent him off on a mission and returned from the said mission a panic began to rise within him. Yashamaru had told him how Gaara became friends with a Leaf Shinobi that was here for the exams along with his older siblings.

Before Yashamaru could say anything else about the situation, Baki quickly ran out, walking in a very fast manner running would only cause more panic, and began his search for his young charges. Multiple images ran through his mind, was the Leaf Nin using Gaara, did they find out about him being a Jinchuriki of Shukaku or something else he would rather not think about at that moment.

"YOU'RE CHEATING!"

Baki head turned towards the where that scream had come from, it was Kankuro no doubt about it. Picking up his pace, Baki quickly headed towards the location where it came from. He ended up in front of a hotel, just an average hotel. With an impassive expression, Baki walked into the Hotel and stood in the middle of the lobby of the hotel. A flash of red caught his eyes, turning Baki saw a very bizarre scene, nothing that he had imagined, which a good thing it was.

Kankuro was sitting across of a young boy he had never seen before with a game board in between them, shogi by the looks of it. Temari is sitting in between Kankuro and the other boy laughing at her brother. Sitting on a couch is a man that Baki had seen before in a bingo book.

Shikaku Nara the current head of the Nara clan and current Jonin Commandeer of Konoha, and from what he heard the father of the newly famed prodigy. Looking closely, he took notice at the boy that is sitting across from Kankuro looks exactly like Shikaku. If the hair and same bored expression wasn't a dead giveaway.

'You have to be kidding me.' Baki thought, all other thoughts of his mission from his mind as he stared at the young Nara. 'I had thought he would be…older at least.'

"We bring food!"

"Food!"

"Slow down you two."

"Someone is going to end up falling."

Baki glanced over his shoulder to see Gaara and a blonde hair boy of the same age run into the hotel lobby their arms filled with snacks. Running after them is none other than Itachi Uchiha with a paper bag in hand, as he chased after the younger children and finally, another kid with silver hair walked in shaking his head at the scene in front of him.

It seemed none of them paid any attention to him, Baki silently hid and watched.

-.-

"You're awake." Gaara said as he sat next to Shikamaru.

"About time too." Naruto added in, sitting on the other side of Naruto, him and Gaara dumped all their snacks on the table not so much of a care for the game. "We bring food."

"Hey! We were playing!" Kankuro yelled indignantly.

"You already lost, stop complaining." Temari snapped at Kankuro, she grabbed a random snack and began to eat it.

Kankuro began to sulk and tearfully also grabbed a snack.

"I talked with dad about your adoption." Shikamaru said bluntly to Naruto.

Naruto tensed, it was one thing to be accepted into the family by Shikaku and Yoshino. Shikamaru didn't have a clue about the adoption until earlier. He was worried that his friend, now brother, would reject the whole idea of them being brothers. "Okay…"

Shikamaru reached over and grabbed Naruto in a side hug before he quickly pushed his brother away from himself with a huff. "Troublesome brother."

Shikamaru was not one for giving personal affection. Do not get it wrong, it is just that it's so troublesome to do so. Moreover, Shikamaru was rather annoyed at the fact that Naruto was nervous that he would not accept him as a brother.

"So…You okay with the fact I'm your adopted brother then?" Naruto asked nervously. "Beca-"

Naruto was caught off when Shikamaru stuffed a candy bar into Naruto's mouth to shut him up. "I already thought of us as brothers…fishcake."

Glowering at his new brother, Naruto slowly stood up. "Pineapple-head…"

The Sand Siblings watched as they watched the scene before them as Naruto attempts to one-up Shikamaru but to only get knocked down a peg by Shikamaru in retaliation. Was this how siblings should act around one another?

"That is it!" Naruto launched himself towards Shikamaru. "You are going down!"

Unfortunately for him, Shikamaru disappeared in a puff of smoke which made Naruto face plant against the ground with a loud moan of pain.

"Where did he go?" Gaara asked taking aback from Shikamaru's sudden departure.

Shikaku could not help but snort at his son's actions, he looked over at a seemingly random direction. Itachi and Kabuto, who were sitting by Shikaku glanced at each other and glanced over at the same direction.

-.-

Baki held his breath as he saw Shikaku Nara and the two older boys stare towards his direction. He had thought he hid well from any of them.

"Do you want to play a game of Shogi?"

To be continued…

R/R.


	15. Chapter 15

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"We have to get rid of him!"

"That…_child_…is a future threat to our village."

"He must not continue to live any further on."

"If he continues to live, it would jeopardize everything we had done for this village."

Rasa stood in his seat as he listened to the Seniors, the Suna Council, discuss the 'issue' of his childhood friendship with one particular youth. Shikamaru Nara. The decision on what exactly to do with him, for the fact he had managed to make friends with the future weapon, a secret one at that, of Suna would lead to complications down the road as the other is from another village. If only Gaara had not made friends with that certain Shinobi…

'Gaara…' Rasa mused bitterly. 'What I am going to do with you?'

If there was something about Rasa, are his two personas. His first persona is Rasa the father, his second and most dominate is Rasa the Kazekage. He has put the village ahead of his own family time after time again. It seems he would have to do that once more.

-.-

Early the next morning Team Four had woken up and were already wandering around Suna in search of supplies that could be needed for the next portion of the exam. They did so by splitting up the workload. Itachi went out to look for a blacksmith to weapons, kunai's and shuriken's mostly, Kabuto was tasked with gathering medical supplies, and Shikamaru had to look for provisions, they do not know how long this task is going to take the young Nara had a large stack of food and water among other things.

"What a drag." Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he sealed the last water bottle into a scroll. He walked out of a store, he glanced around the street as he put away the scroll. The thing he needed now is a good nap, now…where can he go and take a nap without any interruption?

"Shikamaru Nara."

Shikamaru let out a tired sigh as he looked up to see a somewhat familiar-looking man standing in front of him. The man is smiling kindly at him, that smile did anything but put Shikamaru at ease.

"What do you want?" Shikamaru said bluntly staring back at the man with an uninterested look.

"I just wanted a moment of your time is all." The man said taken aback from Shikamaru's behavior.

"You already are taking a moment of my time."

"In private."

"…Do I look that gullible to you?" Shikamaru said with a look of disgust. "Troublesome old man."

The man frowned momentarily before he raised his hands and waved them frantically his expression red in embarrassment. "Look, my name is Yashamaru and I am Gaara, Temari and Kankuro's uncle. I just want to talk to their new friend is all?"

"…no." Shikamaru yawned as he turned around and headed off in a seemingly random direction. "I have better things to do."

He is nothing like how Gaara had described Shikamaru to be. Yashamaru mentally debated if he should continue with this task.

"It's about Gaara." Yashamaru said low enough for Shikamaru to hear.

"Does it have to do with the fact that almost the entire population of this village is terrified of him?"

"…Yes…"

"Fine…but if you do anything funny I will make you kill yourself in the most humiliating way possible."

-.-

"Is your skin really blue? Wow, you have pointy teeth, sharp. Oh, do you have gills? You look like a walking piece of sushi." Naruto rambled on and on as he latched himself onto a much freaked out Kisame continually asking question after question about his appearance.

Kisame, in turn, was shouting our profanities left to right as he ran around in circles attempting to get Naruto off himself. His teammates were of no use, they were currently laughing at him with no hesitation whatsoever. The blonde was randomly running around and ended up bumping into Kisame's team, who were also stocking in supplies, and quickly latched himself onto the tall teen with no signs of letting go. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"Language!" Naruto smacked Kisame forehead and proceeded to pull on his hair continuing on with his questions.

"You are so lucky that I can't kill you right now brat..." Kisame growled, he attempted to grab Naruto off his head but for the Uzumaki to only pull at his hair in retaliation. "LET GO!"

"NO!"

"GET OFF ME YOU DEMON!"

In that instant Naruto quickly let go of Kisame's hair, Kisame grinned victories but it quickly fell at seeing Naruto's expression. The young child had a look of rejection and he looked like he was about to cry. "Crap…"

With no sign whatsoever, Naruto snapped and lunged at Kisame again only this time he proceeded to attack Kisame with his own hands.

"GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF ME!" Kisame screamed out in pain, but no one paid any mind to the scene. His teammates actually began to take pictures of the scene before them to use as blackmail for later use. "YOU TWO, HELP ME! ZABUZA! YAGURA!"

"Take that back you overgrown piece of sushi!" Naruto yelled as he pulls and scratched Kisame's head with no mercy.

"Naruto..." A lazy but stern voice called out making Naruto stop mid-scratch.

Naruto and the Mizu team to turn around to see Shikaku standing in front of them. The Nara gave Naruto a pointed look, which prompted the young Uzumaki to jumped off Kisame and land next to him. Naruto shoulders sagged, his head pointed downwards so that his hair hid his eyes from his adoptive father. "Sorry…"

"Sorry, sorry, YO-" Whatever else that Kisame was going to say was cut off when he fully saw Shikaku. A jonin from Konoha, sure Kisame would have preferred to fight the man but that would lead to elimination from the exams and this is actually his third time taking them. Plus…the way the man is staring at him is starting to give him brought chills down his spin. "Er…"

"What happened?" Shikaku said to no one in particular but it was clear he wanted answers.

"The kid jumped Kisame." Zabuza pipped up with a snicker.

"But it changed when Kisame called him a _demon_." Yagura stated sending glare towards Kisame's way.

Shikaku looked down at Naruto and said with a deadpanned expression. "You should have kicked him below the belt at least."

-.-

Shikamaru sat on the merry-go-round contemplating what the Sand Siblings uncle had just told him.

'Jinchuriki…' Shikamaru thought sourly. That one word brought so many negative emotions through him, million thoughts, memories and views clashed against each other as he tried to comprehend it all. 'Gaara is a Jinchuriki, that's why everyone fears or hates him. Could it be that…'

"Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru head snapped up breaking him away from his thoughts, he saw Gaara running up towards him and walking behind him just a way behind him is Yashamaru. Yashamaru stood back when Shikamaru began to glare at the man, how dare he! How does this village dare to do such a thing to a child, a child before he was even born and cursed to live in such a manner. For what? To be a weapon, nothing more and nothing less, shaking his head Shikamaru gave Gaara a loud yawn. "What's up."

"I just wanted to say good luck before you head back into the exams." Gaara said nervously twiddling his fingers together, he kept looking at the ground, his uncle or pretty much anywhere but at Shikamaru.

"Your uncle told you about the conversation we had earlier?" Shikamaru said bluntly not wanting to beat around the bush.

Gaara tensed but nodded. His breathing started to turn haggard, sand began to swirl around him rather dangerously so. Is his friend going to abandon him? Is he going to curse him out? Fear him? Hate him? WHAT I-

Blonk!

Yashamaru let out a loud groan of pain as he held his face with his hands, a bouncy ball innocently rolled away from the scene. There was actually blood dripping down the man's fingers. "My nose!"

Gaara looked over at Shikamaru to only see him picking his ear with clear disinterest. His sand fell to the ground in confusion.

"What?" Shikamaru said with a shrug, he stood up and patted Gaara on the head. "I should get going, I have to meet up with my team. I'll see you again once it's over."

Gaara watched as Shikamaru walked off, he blinked slowly as he processed what just happened. Glancing over at his shoulder, Gaara could see that Yashamaru is starting to curse under his breath and then looking at the bouncy ball. With a (sadistic) grin, Gaara quickly used his sand to pick up the ball and threw it.

Blonk!

Yashamaru fell to the ground attempting to regain his breath, looking up he saw Gaara looking at him with heartless eyes. "Gaara…"

"I told you he was different." Gaara stiffly to his uncle. "Mother doesn't like liars."

-.-

"Three forsaking days in the desert." Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he and his teammates signed wagers for the second portion of the test.

"At least we are packed and ready to go." Kabuto said trying to lighten the mood.

"We have to go out and survive not only from the elements but also from everyone else that aim's to kill us." Itachi deadpanned, pointing at all the other genin teams.

"At least we have each other?" Kabuto said trying to lighten the mood again.

"We are going to die from either the heat, dehydration or end up killing each other reason of insanity."

-.-

"We are going to end up dying of dehydration before the exams starts." Yagura said blandly as he fans himself with his hand as he watched Kisame chug down another water bottle.

"Stop drinking all of our water, dumbass." Zabuza snapped at the older boy.

"What? I'm thirsty?" Kisame said without much of a care, he face was covered in bandages and is using a cloth to cover his missing hair. "Curse that kid."

"You had it coming towards the end." Yagura stated to his teammate.

Kisame rolled his eyes but the shortest of the three teammates did not see it. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"Sure you do." Zabuza snorted, he looked around to see what kind of competition they were heading themselves into, many do not seem to be able to put on a good fight or even survive long enough to the finish line. His eyes landed on Team Four, debating whether or not if they should confront them in the desert. From what he had seen, the prefer to steer clear of fighting. If anything, they prefer to play with everyone's minds than anything else. However, there has to be a reason why the younger of the two are renowned prodigies. "To think that this exam was going to be lame."

To be continued…

R/R.


	16. Chapter 16

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Team Four stood over a sand dune as they watched another team being devoured by the sand below them. They watched as the other team screams out in both pain and terror of what was happening to them. At least they signed the wager stating that killing is permitted for this portion of the exam.

"Come one, we still have a long way to go." Shikamaru said turning around and headed towards their destination.

"That poison work quicker than anticipated…" Kabuto said to himself as he wrote in a small notebook. "Have to lower its potency for later uses."

"That was far too easy." Itachi murmured following his teammates.

Shikamaru snorted in agreement, as they silently moved forward, well mostly. Kabuto kept murmuring about the potency of his poisons, Itachi swinging a tanto around out of boredom and the occasional grunt from Shikamaru, as he was deep in thought.

"How much longer until our destination?" Itachi asked dully.

"We have only been out here for a day, if we keep up with this pace we should be there before nightfall." Kabuto said not looking away from his notebook.

"Too long." Itachi moaned out childishly, he fell back on his back and stared up at the sky. "I see a bunny rabbit!~"

Shikamaru and Kabuto glanced at each other both taken aback by Itachi's behavior. They slowly turned around to only sweatdropped at the scene before them. Itachi had started to cover himself with sand and proceeded to make a sandcastle with said sand. He kept rambling on and on about some rabbit he saw.

"Kabuto… Those Mizu guys we just finished off…their weapons were poisoned weren't they?" Shikamaru asked, he silently took out a camera and took photos of Itachi. Hey, even if the situation was dire it has a once in a lifetime chance for some blackmail material.

"To paralyze, but this is…" Kabuto scratched his head as he stared at Itachi behavior. "Off."

By now, Itachi had proceeded to jump out of the sand and run around in circles screaming his head off about how a rabbit wanted to kill him.

"Get him." Kabuto said, he and Shikamaru attempt to get Itachi to be quiet. The last thing they needed is to attract unwanted attention. "Stand still, Itachi-kun!"

"NO!" Itachi laughed out loud, he then changed direction and ran towards the direction they needed to go towards. "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!"

"Troublesome." Shikamaru cursed out as he started to chase after Itachi. "What the heck is wrong with him!"

"It's more than likely that he got cut by one of the enemies weapons which were coated with that substance." Kabuto explained as he also ran after Itachi.

"I get that part." Shikamaru huffed out. "Explain what is happening to Itachi!"

"He might be allergic or had a very high dosage to one of many compounds used." Kabuto said as he took in Itachi's symptoms. "I swear if he doesn't get killed by an enemy or by the desert, then I am going to kill him myself."

Shikamaru was about the response but was stopped when something flew towards him and covered his entire head. He quickly took whatever it was off his head to examine it and quickly yelled out. "ITACHI, PUT YOUR PANTS BACK ON!"

"NO!"

"Ita-" Kabuto began to say but was stopped when Itachi threw his shirt at Kabuto. "He is so going down for this…"

-.-

"Is everyone from that village crazy!" Kisame whispered furiously to his teammates.

"I don't know, why you don't ask them?" Zabuza replied sarcastically.

"They took down Team 33 and they were nothing to scoff at either." Yagura stated seeing where their former fellow shinobi being swallowed up by the unforgiving sands. "Although their poisons were always so lacking."

"Was that supposed to happen then?" Zabuza asked pointing at the half-naked Itachi Uchiha.

"No." Yagura deadpanned.

"I HAVE NO PANTS ON!"

"I SWEAR IF YOU GET US KILLED, ITACHI!"

"TROUBLESOME!"

"Should we go after them and kill them off?" Kisame asked with a confused expression.

"I rather not get caught in that." Zabuza said pointing at Team Four with a horrified expression.

"We'll follow them for now and attack once there is an opening…after the Uchiha has some clothes on." Yagura sighed pinching the bridge between his eyebrows.

"Hey, who has the food?" Kisame asked glancing at his teammates. "I'm getting hungry."

Yagura and Zabuza paused, they glanced at each other in confusion.

"I only packed water." Zabuza uneasily.

"I was under the assumption one of you two were in charge of the supplies." Yagura said just as uneasily.

"Wait if neither of you brought along any food that means…"

-.-

"You are impossible, Itachi! Impossible!" Kabuto seethed out, taking off the honorific from names is a clear sign that Kabuto is pissed beyond measure. He and Shikamaru had managed to catch Itachi and put his clothes back on. After doing so they proceeded with tying Itachi with ninja wire and drag him towards the finish line all the while the Uchiha is rambling on and on about random things. "Remind me to run tests on him once this is all finished."

"Fine." Shikamaru muttered as he helped Kabuto drag Itachi across through the desert. "At least we got some blackmail out of this."

"Which we will be using for quite some time I hope..." Kabuto grumbled at the thought.

"Do you think he's going to remember what happened?" Shikamaru asked honestly curious.

"No." Kabuto said shaking his head in pity, he then gave Shikamaru a wink. "But that would make things much more interesting, eh?"

"Maybe?" Shikamaru shrugged, he looked up at the sky, "We have about two hours left of sunlight. Do you want to keep going or make camp?"

Kabuto let out a sigh; he glanced back at Itachi as he thought about their situation. They had spent a couple of hours attempting to calm Itachi down enough to tie him up, all the while fighting off other competitors. All of which resulted in lost time. There was no way of getting to the end of the desert by nightfall like the original plan. "We will continue moving for another hour, and then start a camp."

"Do you want to make a fire?"

"Are you sure you're up for it, Shikamaru-kun?"

"I need to let out some steam."

-.-

"They are mocking us..." Kisame growled under his breath as he watched Kabuto and Itachi (Itachi is currently tossed in a small tent for his own safety) sat around a small campfire eating.

"We would also be enjoying some food if someone remembered to pack some." Yagura whispered harshly at Kisame.

Kisame humph, embarrassed but in denial.

"Should we attack them now?" Zabuza said, he tightly gripped his sword in anticipation.

"…Fine…"

Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.

The Mizu team all froze, they slowly turned around to see Shikamaru Nara eating a bag of chips from what they could tell.

"Sup." Shikamaru said as he ate another chip.

Slurp. Slurp. Slurp.

Turning around again, Kisame, Zabuza, and Yagura now see Kabuto sitting in front of them drinking out of a bottle of water.

"Hello, there?" Kabuto said giving them a short wave. He held out his other hand towards them with three water bottles in hand. "You wouldn't happen to be open about a temporary alliance would you?"

"And what happens if we deny your offer?" Yagura demanded to know after snapping out of his previous state of shock.

Kabuto shrugged. "We would wake Itachi up and have him chase the three of you down. I believe he is still…under the weather."

"Take the deal..." Kisame whispered to Yagura.

To be continued…

R/R.


	17. Chapter 17

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"How much longer until we get there?" Kisame grumbled out, he had Itachi swung over his shoulder as his team and the rest of Team Four trudged through the hot sands. Both teams had come up with a temporary truce, Team Four would provide with supplies and directions while the Mizu team protects them from the other competitors.

Kabuto had explained that Itachi normally is their heavy hitter and since the young Uchiha is…indisposed that they need help. In return for their safety, Team Four would provide with food, water, and directions (Yagura muttered how Kisame and Zabuza have a horrible sense of direction). Any sort of backstabbing by the Mizu Shinobi were wiped out of their minds when they saw Shikamaru using the shadows that the fire had created to capture a random team that thought they had the upper hand and Kabuto promptly used a genjutsu on them which had the opposing team continuously run.

Now it was early in the morning and the last day of the second portion of the exam, they were traveling at an easy pace seeing as they are almost close to their destination.

"I heard you had a run-in with my dad and brother." Shikamaru said glancing up at Kisame with a bored look.

"Huh?" Kisame said more or less taken aback, he scratched his head trying to remember what exactly Shikamaru was talking about when it hit him. "Uh…About that..."

"He should have kicked you below the belt." Shikamaru deadpanned.

Kisame growled under his breath but did not say anything else remembering about the temporary truce.

"Is there a reason why your _brother_ went berserk?" Zabuza asked with a thin eyebrow raised.

"I know why he went crazy, the reason behind is still something that has me thinking about." Shikamaru said a deep frown etched onto his expression as he said those words.

Yagura glanced at Shikamaru thoughtfully. 'Could it be that child is like one of us?'

"What do you mean, Shikamaru-kun?" Kabuto asked him, he knew that Naruto was not well-liked within the village and not because of his notorious reputation of being a prankster. He had a feeling, now he knew that his current _boss _knows what is going on but decided to hide the details about Naruto.

Shikamaru did not respond, he pointed up ahead of them. "We're here."

True to his words, up ahead of them is a tall building that is so similar to the architecture to Suna. Easily camouflaged by its surroundings, they quickly picked up their pace towards the building. However, before they could take another step a huge gust of wind hit them fully on. Kisame stood against the wind gritting his teeth as he did, Yagura and Zabuza stabbed their weapons into the sand as they each took hold of Shikamaru and Kabuto.

"This is really getting annoying." Kisame growled out in annoyance.

Standing in front of both teams stood a Suna team, all of them smirking and giving them superior looks. Two males and one female, all in their mid-teens, one male of average height with dark hair, the other male is taller with a pair of daggers in hand and finally is the female with a pair of fans in hand.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here..." The shorter of the two males sneered at the opposing team.

"Two teams that are using every ounce of their will power to try not to kill the other team!" Shikamaru called out.

The Suna team nearly wavered in surprise; they were not expecting someone to actually respond especially with that.

Kisame, Yagura, and Zabuza all looked at Shikamaru with a questioning look.

"What you know it's the truth." Shikamaru said with a shrug, he discreetly looked up towards the sky and took note of the position of the sun. 'It's about nine, the exams end at noon. We have to hurry this along or I'm going to end up being useless here.'

"For once in your life Shikamaru-kun…shut up." Kabuto hissed, he did not like the situation they were in any better either.

"Meh, too troublesome." Shikamaru shrugged not really showing that he cared all that much. He looked over at Kisame. "You can take the short one down without even breaking a sweat."

"SHORT ONE!" The one that had spoken earlier shouted out, he pointed down at Shikamaru. "How dare you, don't you know who we are!"

"Should we really care?" Zabuza drawled out in a similar tone that Shikamaru had used earlier.

"Tch, who wants to do the honors of killing them?" Yagura tsk'ed, he pointed at the Suna Team with his staff.

Kisame threw Itachi off his shoulder and unsheathed his sword and grinned menacingly. "Finally I get to kill something!"

"Typical." Yagura rolled his eyes at Kisame behavior, he glanced over at Kabuto who is now checking over Itachi. The Uchiha let out a groan as he began to wake up. Glancing over at Shikamaru, he saw that the young Nara is silently conversing with Zabuza. "Alright, everyone…just like we planned."

Shikamaru coughed out which made Yagura roll his eyes. "Just like what the Nara had planned."

Kisame let out a roar like laugh as he lunged out towards the leader of Suna team. The leader let out a loud yelp of surprise as he jumped back in an attempt to dodge, his teammates attempted to intercept Kisame but were quickly blocked by Yagura and Zabuza. Unbeknownst to the Suna team, only Itachi was the only one left out of this fight.

-.-

Kisame, to say the last, is extremely kill-happy as he continued to 'fight'. It was not so much of a fight, as his opponent kept attempting to dodge the more they ended up being slash left and right.

"Oh come on, didn't you say you were some top-notch Shinobi?" Kisame laughed, now he had managed to actually cut off the Suna Shinobi arm's off. "Heh, guess not."

-.-

Yagura was tasked with fighting against the other male of the Suna team; he was more or less displeased by the fight. It was obvious that the Suna Kunoichi is styled to fight close range and has little to no training in taijutsu. The blast of wind she sent towards his direction was getting more and more pathetic after each attempt. 'She's getting low in chakra.'

Yagura spun his staff before he placed it on his back again and promptly began to walk away.

The Suna Kunoichi seethed in annoyance as her opponent retreated. "Giving up already brat!"

"Could you kill her already, she's getting on my nerves." Yagura called out with a short wave not bothering to look back. This left the Kunoichi in confusion but quickly replaced with clear paranoia as she quickly checked her surroundings.

She looked everywhere and towards up the sky but nothing, before she could even take another breath she was suddenly pulled down into the sand. The only evidence that she was there is her fans that are partially buried into the sand. In the same spot where the Suna Kunoichi was buried alive, the sand began to stir and suddenly a pale hand sprung out quickly being followed by the rest of the body.

"Took you long enough, Kabuto." Yagura said now standing in front of Kabuto. He offered his hand towards Kabuto. Kabuto took his hand and slowly pulled himself out of the sand.

"Had to make sure she was done for." Kabuto said sputtered out sand from his mouth.

-.-

Out of all three, Zabuza is the only had that is having difficulty with fighting against his opponent. It was not that he was weak or anything, on the contrary, it was that the environment was against him. He was not well trained enough to be fighting in this sort of conditions. If only there were back in the Land of Water then things would have been massively different.

"Don't tell me that your already getting tired, brat," Zabuza opponent barked out, he coiled his arm back and quickly aimed towards Zabuza with his dagger. Zabuza quickly countered it with his sword with a scowl. "Just die already!"

In a single clash, the enemy had managed to separate Zabuza from his main weapon with a triumphant smirk. He reached over to grabbed hold of Zabuza sword. "What a shame, to think th-What th-"

The moment that the Suna shinobi grabbed hold of the sword, said sword's shadow sprouted out and grabbed him in a deadly chokehold.

Zabuza watched as the shadow that his weapon had made come to life and slowly choke out his opponent. He did not know whether he respected or feared what he was seeing in front of him.

A couple of minutes have passed and the Suna Nin stopped moving and breathing. The shadows retracted away from the body, which fell and rolls downwards on the sand. Half a minute later, Shikamaru bust away from the shadow of the swords and landed on his hands and knees vomiting violently. Zabuza watched freaking out in the inside. "Er…are you okay?"

Shikamaru sent him a glare wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Does it look like I'm okay?"

"No."

-.-

Itachi sat up slowly holding his head in an attempt to hold back a headache. Sitting up he quickly took a quick assessment of himself.

'Why my shorts are on backward and my shirt inside out,' Itachi thought, checking his clothing in confusion. He attempted to stand up but that only made him groan in pain as his stomach protested at the sudden movement. With a huff, Itachi stood up his knees wobbled as he took a single step forward. "What happened to me…?"

"WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" Someone shouted causing Itachi to cringe; he turned around to see Kisame running towards him frantically

Itachi stared him with a look of apprehension that quickly turned into horror as the old nin grabbed hold of him and threw him over his shoulder. Kisame quickly turned around and ran off towards the building that they were supposed to go to finish the exam.

Itachi slapped both of his hands over his mouth, a sudden case of motion sickness hitting him. He raised his head to see his teammates running behind along with Kisame's teammates. All of them had panicked looks.

"We are cutting this far too close." Shikamaru breathed out trying not to lose his footing in the sand.

"Less talking, more running!" Yagura wheezed out.

In silent agreement, they all picked up their pace. Up ahead of them, a massive door was slowly closing announcing its end to the second portion of the exam just as it seemed impossible, all of them launched forward in a giant leap towards the entrance in hopes of making it…

To be continued…

R/R.


	18. Chapter 18

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Only five teams had made it through the second portion of the exam, the all stood side by side in a room waiting. Two teams from Suna, one team from Kiri and Konoha and a final team from Kumo. Standing before is the Kazekage, their teachers, multiple Jonin's, Chunin's and the proctors of the exam.

The five genin teams stood still as the Kazekage talked about the main reason behind the Exams, a substitution of war. As his speech ended, the Kazekage signaled for a Jonin to explain what was going to happen next.

The Jonin had begun to explain that for the final portion of the Exam would be a tournament that would be overseen by many important people and future potential client's. The Finals would take place half a month the usual stuff.

"Before we begin…Is there anyone that wishes to forfeit?" The Jonin asked looking at the genins.

Kabuto, Itachi, and Shikamaru glanced at each other, silently conversing with each other. They were ready to continue and test themselves further on. No one raised their hands or made any indication of quitting.

"Team Four of Konoha step up!" The Suna Jonin called out, he motioned for Team Four to approach

-.-

"I have to fight a girl." Shikamaru complained as Team Four, the rest of the other teams and their teacher trudged through the desert accompanied by a couple of Suna Shinobi.

"At least you don't have to fight conservatively." Itachi rumbled in annoyance at the thought of having to fight without having a break. Since there was an odd number of genin and no one dropping out it resulted with whoever had the last number picked had to sit out and fight against whoever won the 7th fight. Itachi had managed get picked for the 7th fight which if he won he would have to fight again with no chance of a break.

"Look at the positive side of things…at least you don't smell like vomit." Kabuto lightly laughed, he pointed up ahead of them at the Kiri team. Up ahead of them is a furious Kisame smelling like vomit, his teammates made it a point to walk several feet away including all the other teams.

Itachi mentally sweatdropped at the memory…

_Flashback…_

_Six Genin all landed in a giant heap as they all had managed to make it through the now-closed doors. All of their eyes were shut closed not really knowing whether or not they had managed to make it through._

_"Did we make it?" Zabuza managed to call out from the bottom of the pile._

_Slowly one by one, they all opened their eyes and glance around. They made it into the building just in time too. Slowly they all untangled themselves from each other at the relief of making it through the second portion of the test._

_"Ah…air conditioning..." Kisame sighed contently, he laid on of tile floor with his eyes closed._

_"At least this place isn't so troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled as he stumbled up._

_"Itachi-kun…are you alright?" Kabuto asked, he hastily stood up seeing the Uchiha had managed to stand up. Itachi was swaying dangerously, one hand covering his mouth while the other clutched his stomach as if in pain._

_"I really don't feel so good." Itachi manages to say, the color of his face managed to turn into a pasty green. Suddenly his eyes widened and puked…on top of an unsuspecting Kisame._

_"Ew…" Yagura deadpanned but he could not help but quirk a smile as he watched Kisame being grossed out. At least Itachi did not puke on him._

_End of Flashback…_

"That reminds me…what exactly happened while I was uh…" Itachi lightly flushed in embarrassment.

Shikamaru pulled out his camera without saying a single thing. Itachi hesitantly took the camera and scanned through the photos, with every photo he saw he paled deeper and deeper in embarrassment. Shikamaru took his camera back and hide it back in his person. "By the way…they also saw."

Itachi slowly glanced over at whom else saw him at his worse, to his dismay or honest relief it was the Kiri team. At least he can blackmail Kisame about the accident…

"What are we going to do now, Raido-sensei?" Shikamaru asked his teacher.

Raido looked down at his team with a sigh; he was still rather miffed at how his students dismissed him at the beginning of the exams. "We are to remain in Suna, we have been assigned a training ground to train until the tournament. Training to prepare for all of your upcoming matches, is that understood?"

"Ew… Training." Shikamaru muttered in distaste.

-.-

"We have half a month to train and be ready for the final portion of the exam." Shikamaru explained as he, his father and Naruto over a late dinner in a familiar restaurant. "It's styled as a tournament."

"Now we can see what you learned in the last couple of months eh Shikamaru?" Naruto asked excitedly at finally seeing Shikamaru in action.

"I have to fight some Kumo Kunoichi." Shikamaru grunted, he picked at his food as he thought about his upcoming match. Unbeknownst to them, said Kumo Kunoichi and her team just walked into the establishment. "I haven' seen what exactly what she or her team are capable of, it's' going to be a drag."

Shikaku moment tensed at the mention and the arrival of the Kumo team. A month prior of Shikamaru's graduation, the Hyuga Affair had occurred and half a week later the whole _issue_ was resolved. Of course, he had talked to Shikamaru about it when the young Nara had taken note of how the majority of the Shinobi in the village became extremely tense during that time. The only thing that Shikaku had told his son is that Kumo is currently is bad terms with Konoha, to be more precise, the Hyuga Clan. So far, Shikamaru's mindset on Kumo is anything but of a typical Nara.

"If I forfeit, Itachi and Kabuto are never going to make me forget it." Shikamaru continued to complain about the whole situation. "And the whole issue with Itachi and Kabuto isn't any better either."

"What is happening with Itachi and Kabuto?" Shikaku asked he pointed at his son with his chopsticks. "All you've told me is that Itachi got injured."

"Itachi was somewhat poisoned with a sort paralyzing agent." Shikamaru explained, he scratched his head as he recalled mentally what had happened to Itachi out in the desert. "It made him act like a total idiot, not in Naruto's standard of idiot, but a total idiot."

"Oi!" Naruto exclaimed, glaring at his brother. "I am not an idiot!"

"Ramen accident." Shikamaru deadpanned.

"…Tch, whatever." Naruto grumbled, he began to slurp down his ramen slowly ensuring that there was not a repeat of what had happened last time.

"As I was saying." Shikamaru continued on. "After we had arrived at the tower out in the desert, Kabuto had said there was something off about Itachi and wanted to run a couple of test. So…do not be to surprise if you see Itachi running away or trying to kill Kabuto tomorrow for experimenting on him."

"How bad is it?"

"Don't know, neither of them wanted to tell me and I didn't want to pry." Shikamaru said with a shrug and did not say anything else about the subject about his teammates.

The family ate their meal in silence after that. Shikamaru only spared a single glance towards the Kumo team, the only Kunoichi of the team was openly glaring at him, and in turn, Shikamaru gave her a deadpanned look that only seemed to infuriate her even more.

Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru focused back on his food.

-.-

"I am going to make him regret his words." Mabui said gritting her teeth; she glared at her future opponent.

"Don't get overworked about it." Darui said, he glanced over his menu to look at his teammate. "From what I heard, the majority of the other former competitors in the exams all went after his team. I bet he's just tired."

"That is why we should be more wary of him, Darui." C scolded him. "If they managed to survive for that long, one could only imagine what they could actually do."

"Do you think that they…?" Mabui trailed off in a low whisper. "Hold a grudge?"

C grunted. "Why would they bother, it's not like they can hold grudges. Le-"

"NOT AGAIN!" Naruto screamed on top of his lungs, interrupting C. "TOO HOT!"

They watched as Shikamaru and Shikaku tend to Naruto who was drowning down a tall glass of water.

"Idiots." C deadpanned. "They are a bunch of idiots."

-.-

"All of you had the possibility of killing those weaklings." Ao berated his genin team. "Pathetic."

Kisame, Yagura and Zabuza stayed quiet as their teacher yelled at them. They have a similar relationship with their teacher with what Team Four as with their own. Their respect towards their teacher, Team Four do respect their teacher but purposely make it seem like they do not to attempt liven the mood a bit with their uptight teacher but Team Kiri on the other hand…No respect whatsoever…

They stand by the choices they had made in the desert. Team Four made it clear from the beginning, they are more than capable of handling their own and showed no hesitance to killing.

"They are the reason there were only five teams that had passed through the second portion of the exam." Yagura stated, he leaned against a wall and stared out of a window. "They may be weak, but they make up for it in skill."

"Still doesn't explain why the three of you had the audacity of teaming up with them!" Ao exclaimed.

"We were out of our element." Kisame deadpanned.

"That's because you forgot to pack extra water." Zabuza pointed out. "Dumbass."

"Oh, like you actually did anything useful!" Kisame shouted at his teammate.

"At least I don't smell like crap!"

"Kisame, Zabuza." Yagura snapped at his teammates. "You two can kill each other at the tournament, remember that you two are up against each other in the first round."

"And you have to fight against one of those leaf nin." Ao stated to Yagura.

"I know, fortunately for me I already saw him in combat." Yagura stated with an eye roll as he watched Kisame and Zabuza continue to argue.

"Fish brains!"

"Take that back!"

To be continued…

R/R.


	19. Chapter 19

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"You're leaving once the exams are over."

Shikamaru glanced up from his meal to stare over at Gaara with a bored look. He was with Gaara along with their siblings out eating lunch as a sort of farewell. In the last half month, Shikamaru was busy training with his father and team including and being congratulated for making it this far in the exam. To say the least, it was a very troublesome time, which left little to no time to hang out with his new friends. Fortunately or unfortunately, Naruto was around the hang out with the Sand Siblings. To say the least…Gaara began to pick up some of his…lesser traits.

"Yep." Shikamaru stated with a shrug. "That's the main reason we were here in Suna in the first place."

"Oh…" Gaara whispered he leaned his head forward to avoid eye contact with everyone sitting around the table. Temari and Kankuro glanced at each other warily they slow down their eating as Gaara stopped eating.

Naruto quietly gulped down his food as he nudged Shikamaru with his elbow and nudged his head toward Gaara direction silently communicating with his brother. Shikamaru let out a sigh, he stabbed his chopsticks in his food and leaned over the table to whack Gaara over the head. "I swear you are really picking up Naruto's knuckle-headed traits."

Naruto loudly snorted indignantly looking away from Shikamaru continuing to eat his food. Shikamaru, in turn, rolled his eyes and proceeded to whack him over the head too. Temari, even with the tense atmosphere, crackled at Shikamaru and Naruto's behavior. The two started to slap, hit, bite, or stab each other with their eating utensils or anything they can get their hands on.

Slowly, trying to go unnoticed, Kankuro reached over at Gaara to poke his brother with his chopsticks. Gaara was too busy rubbing his head and watching the bickering brothers to take notice.

Poke.

Gaara blinked, taken aback at what happened he slowly turned his head to face his brother. "Did you just poke me?"

"What are you talking about?" Kankuro said as he quickly hid his hands under the table.

Gaara narrowed his eyes at his brother, he grabbed his own chopsticks and proceeded poke Kankuro. However, Kankuro intercepted him with his own and the two began to brawl.

No one else in the establishment had made any notion of stopping them. The last thing they needed is being caught in the middle of that. The two fights do not seem to never end but they did manage to keep it contained until…

Plop!

Both fights suddenly stopped, all four boys slowly turned around to face the only female. Temari sat still, fuming as a piece of steak slid down her face. All boys gulped as she glared at them, as a sort of silent signal the boys ran out of the restaurant fearing for their lives as they heard Temari screaming out death threats at them.

"For the record…I BLAME YOU SHIKAMARU!" Naruto screamed running away from an enraged blonde.

"I second that!" Gaara panted, he began to trip over his own feet as he tried to run away.

Kankuro grabbed hold of his brother as he ran. "But it was worth it!"

"I AM GOING TO MAIM ALL OF YOU!"

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered under his breath, he did not see that both Kankuro and Naruto both stuck their feet out tripping him.

Shikamaru stumbled onto the ground coughing out sand; he barely even lifted his head when pair familiar light purple sandals appeared in front of him. "Troublesome woman."

-.-

"What did you do this time to anger Temari-san?" Kabuto sighed as healed Shikamaru face.

"One of us accidentally threw something at her." Shikamaru winced as Kabuto examined him. "Naruto and Kabuto tripped me and left me for my doom."

"From what Naruto had told me…You started that chaos." Kabuto deadpanned.

"It was a diversion." Shikamaru said swatting Kabuto away from him.

"Was this an outcome that you had anticipated?" Kabuto asked cynically, he was starting to believe that Shikamaru is turning out to be a masochist.

"Out of the hundred outcomes, I had thought up…seventy-five of them have them end up with this as a result." Shikamaru explained, he rubbed the back of his neck wincing as he did. "How is Itachi?"

"He is resting right now, he overused his Sharingan during practice." Kabuto stated, he turned around and began to gather his supplies. "He should be ready for the tournament tomorrow."

"Any idea how you are going to take on Yagura?" Shikamaru asked curious on how Kabuto would go up against the Kiri nin.

"…To tell you the truth…I have no clue." Kabuto deadpanned. "I've seen him fight and I do not think I am able to go up against him."

"At least you somewhat know what you are going up against." Shikamaru sighed, he stretched out a bit. "I have no clue what my opponent does…it's really going to be a drag…"

"Rest up then, we have a long day tomorrow."

-.-

"This is so annoying." Shikamaru muttered as he and the rest of the competitors stood in a single file line in the middle of a stadium. The stadium packed with visitors with high prestige, nearly the entire Suna population, shinobi checking out future adversaries, family and friends of the competitors from their home village. Even the Hokage was here sitting with the Kazekage in a different location along with his father as Shikaku is the Hokage adviser. He sees Naruto, Choza, and Inoichi sitting near the front. The latter of the two had arrived at the village early that morning to support Team Four. "My dad invited his friends…"

"Shisui is here…" Itachi murmured glancing up at the stands to see his cousin and a couple of other clansmen were sitting close but a respectable distance from the Ino-Shika-Cho and Naruto. 'Father isn't here…'

Kabuto kept his gaze on the ground; he knew that there was a couple of Root Nin in the stands under disguise as regular Konoha Shinobi that was watching him. However, was not the same as what Shikamaru and Itachi had at least. They actually had people supporting them.

"Oh no…You have to be kidding me." Shikamaru said in annoyance, he nudged Kabuto and Itachi to look up at the stands where his family is sitting at. Itachi and Kabuto looked and sweatdropped at what Shikamaru was talking about. Up in the stands, they could clearly see Naruto waving around a banner with Team Four etched to it excitedly. When Naruto saw that he had said team attention, he put down the banner and picked up a huge poster board with all their names on it.

"Go Shikamaru! Kabuto! Itachi!" Naruto cheered loud enough for the entire stadium to hear him. "WIN THIS!"

"Does he even know that we don't even need to win this to get promoted?" Itachi shook his head.

"This is Naruto we are talking about, remember?" Kabuto chuckled nervously; he smiled a bit as Naruto only continue to cheer on.

-.-

Kazekage and Hokage sat in a different location to watch the matches with their advisers and guards. Tensions were high between the guards, as it was quite known there was a tension between both villages.

They sat side by side more or less ignoring the tension behind them and chatted about the contenders. Their primary advisers stood by their respected leader, well Yashamaru stood by the Kazekage dutiful while Shikaku lazily leaned against the Hokage's chair and everyone swore they could hear him snoring softly.

In a silent signal, Rasa stood up and stood and announced himself, it took a couple of minutes for the entire arena to be silent. There still some unheard whispers as many paid no exact mind to the Kazekage they were mostly foreigners. Rasa started with a speech about the chunin exams and its reason behind….

-.-

All the contestants all stared up at the Kazekage as he spoke, all of the silent waiting for the announcement of the start of the tournament and the final portion of the Chunin Exam.

"He is taking forever…" Shikamaru muttered under his breath. Many of the others that had managed to hear him nodded or muttered under their breath in agreement. Even the proctor agreed with the young Nara. Looking up the cloudless sky, Shikamaru allowed his mind to wonder. 'By the position of the sun…'

"Hey! Are you even listening?"

Shikamaru blinked his eyes slowly as he was snapped out of his thoughts as someone yelled at him. Scowling, he glanced around to realize that the only people there besides himself was the proctor and Mabui Kunoichi he was supposed to fight against in the first round. Slowly grinding his teeth, Shikamaru glanced over at one of the walls to see a sort of balcony where all the others were. Itachi and Kabuto were waving at the younger teammate with eye smiles.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he mentally scolded himself for allowing his current predicament to happen to himself. Turning around to face his opponent, the young Nara stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave her a bored look. "Are starting already?"

"Just because you're a little kid, it doesn't mean I am going to go easy on you." Mabui stated in annoyance at Shikamaru behavior.

"Whatever." Shikamaru shrugged with a yawn. "Can we get a move on I really need a nap right now."

To be continued…

R/R.


	20. Chapter 20

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"Winner, Shikamaru Nara!"

Shikamaru tugged at his hair as it was now out of its ponytail and now cut haphazardly over his shoulders. He looked over his shoulder to see Mabui tied up with wire string passed out. Glancing up at the stands he saw his 'uncles' and brother cheering loudly at his win while others were cheering but not as enthusiastic.

Letting out a sigh, Shikamaru turned around and headed out as the Procter called out the next fight.

'She was fast and a good head on her shoulders.' Shikamaru thought as he recounted the fight in his head. 'But she underestimated my skill by the time she finally took me seriously it was already too late.'

-.-

"My, my, Shikamaru-kun has quite a mind." Hiruzen chuckled as he watched Shikamaru walk off and two medics Nin's carry off Mabui. "What do you think of your son's fight, Shikaku?"

"He lured the Kumo kunoichi into a false sense of security all the while he set up a trap." Shikaku stated mournfully.

"His attitude is something to be less desired." Rasa huffed, he was rather peeved at Shikamaru's personality but more so at the fact that the young Nara had shown great skills which are looked for in any chunin and future leaders.

"At least the brat has an understanding of being a leader." Shikaku said with a sigh, he didn't need to look over at Rasa to see the Kazekage gripping the arm of his chair tightly. "If this continues; Shikamaru would be leaving me in the dust…"

"Are you right, Shikaku-san?" Yashamaru asked hesitantly as he watched Shikaku beginning to sulk.

"He just doesn't like the fact his son is quickly surpassing him." Hokage said offhandedly not really caring the fact Shikaku started to sniffle to emphasize the point.

"It's not that…Shikamaru got his hair chopped off…my wife is going to kill me." Shikaku sulked.

-.-

Everyone watched as C and a Suna Kunoichi fight against each other. Itachi and Darui stood three feet from each other leaning against the railing as they watched the fight quietly. The rest of the Suna genin all stood away from each other as if they were their own enemy with their own teammates. The Kiri team stood in the back corner, Yagura rolling his eyes as he watched Zabuza and Kisame trying to out-grin the other. Shikamaru watched the fight drowsily as Kabuto tried to fix his hair to no avail.

"She's like that girl you killed in the desert, Kabuto." Yagura said as he stood next to Kabuto to watch the fight. That perked what the other Suna genin attention. "A long-distance fighter."

"C is mid to close range fighter." Darui pipped up.

"Keep a close eye Shikamaru." Itachi stated not looking away from the fight, so face the Suna Kunoichi is keeping C at bay with a puppet. "Whoever wins this fight, you have to fight in the second round."

"I think that's the best I could do." Kabuto sighed stepping away from Shikamaru.

Shikamaru raised his hands and ran them through his hair. It was below his ears but just above his shoulders. A couple of random strands of hair trying to cover his eyes left him annoyed. "Well...This sucks."

"Winner, C."

"Now it's my turn." Darui sighed; he pushed away from the railing and headed out to the arena floor for his fight. One of the taller Suna genins slowly followed him out.

-.-

"Why can't we go out and watch the fights somewhere else?" Kankuro complained as he and his siblings were stuck in a different and secure location for them to watch the fights.

"It's for you and your sibling's safety, Kankuro-sama." Baki answered for what seemed to be the umpteenth time.

Gaara was very close to sliding off his chair out of sheer boredom, he was not even paying attention to the third fight that had just started between the final Kumo genin and Nori, one of the many people that made it a point to stay clear of him. He would have preferred to go off hanging out with Shikamaru or even Naruto. Heck, he would have even stayed with his father (And bluntly ignore him) to talk to Shikaku-sama. 'Why does Shikamaru even like looking up at the sky?'

Temari snorted at her brother's behavior; unlike them, she kept her total focus on the fights. The first fight, between Shikamaru and Mabui, left her in amazement at how Shikamaru had managed to pull such maneuvers making himself seem so weak but in actuality, it was the opposite. The second fight between C and Momo, a puppeteer that Kankuro had mentioned once or twice, was more or less obvious what the outcome was going to be from the beginning. Momo had no experience in dealing with close combat and gen-jutsu; she had the unfortunate luck being paired up against someone as such. The current fight between Darui and Shoichi was more or less of a boor fest. Even if Shoichi was one of the top contenders for being physically the strongest of the remaining Suna genin, it was obvious he relied on his strength too much, which Darui is using against him.

"Shoichi is going to end up losing." Temari said as her final thoughts of the fight.

"Winner, Darui."

-.-

"Finally." Kisame yelled out at the fact it was finally his turn to fight now.

"Shut up." Zabuza snapped at him.

The two started to bicker causing everyone to stare at them. Yagura gritted his teeth at his teammates, without saying a single word, he grabbed his staff and promptly struck them. He actually managed to cause both of them to stumble over the railing and towards the arena below screaming.

"SHUT UP AND KILL EACH OTHER ALREADY!" Yagura screamed at the two of them over the railing. Turning around, Yagura saw that everyone was on the other side giving him looks of fear. "What?"

-.-

Ao tried to shrink away from everyone sight in total embarrassment of his student's actions. 'They are going to be the end of me…'

"GET OFF OF ME!"

"STOP TRYING TO BITE ME THEN!"

Sensing that someone staring at him, Ao looked ahead of him to see who was staring at him. It was a blonde hair boy giving him a bored look. Ao frowned at the boy, which made said kid to stick his tongue out at him. A giant red-headed man that was sitting next to the boy lightly ruffled the child's to gain his attention and the man said something quietly to him.

-.-

"Stop trying to antagonize anyone here, Naruto." Choza chided Naruto.

Naruto pouted. "He was glaring at him though…"

"He was frowning because his students are…" Choza hesitated for a moment trying to look for the proper words to say to Naruto.

"YOU OVERSIZED PIECE OF SUSHI!"

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR CALLING SUSHI!"

"…Like that." Choza said with a massive sweatdrop.

"Just because the guy is frowning, it does not mean he is necessarily doing it because he hates you." Inoichi said, he kept his attention at the fight, which was more of a bloody massacre of the verbal language.

"What does that word mean?" Naruto asked confused by most of the words that Zabuza and Kisame are using to curse the other out. All throughout the entire arena, parents, teachers and or adults, in general, were covering the ears of all the young children and or in general, the ones they want to ensure they retain their innocence.

Choza and Inoichi both covered Naruto's ears and mouth quickly. He already has a long vocabulary; they do not want it any longer, as it is. The last thing they needed is Naruto to repeat those words and start a huge problem for them. Especially if Naruto's repeat said words around Yoshino and knowing the kid…he will most likely blame it on them or to be more precise, Inoichi.

"For the safety of everyone…Do not ever repeat any of those words, Naruto." Inoichi said shaking visibly at the possible future outcomes.

Naruto raised an eyebrow crossing his arms over his chest looking expectantly at him.

"Oh, right." Inoichi laughed nervously, he momentarily let go of Naruto's ears but quickly placed them back remembering exactly why he had them there in the first place.

.

CLANG!

Zabuza and Kisame grinned sadistically at each other as their swords clashed, the other attempted to get the upper hand. Kisame added his weight to his sword forcing Zabuza to jumped back to gain some ground.

"Dammit, Kisame." Zabuza cursed out as he went into defense. "We are supposed to show some skill to be promoted."

"Yeah so?" Kisame asked with a snort, he swung his sword towards Zabuza forcing him to roll away to dodge.

"You are going to end up not being promoted again!" Zabuza said he looked around the arena floor attempting to come up with a plan in an attempt to redeem some points with the judges. 'Not enough water in the air for that to work.'

-.-

"They are going to end up with a tie." Yagura stated bluntly as he watched his teammates fight, he then looked over at Kabuto. "Then it would be our turn to fight."

Kabuto smiled nervously as he began to wonder how he would fair against him. "I am looking forward towards our fight."

To be continued…

R&R.


	21. Chapter 21

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Fighting Matches Round 1 Results:

Shikamaru Vs. Mabui: Shikamaru

C Vs. Suna Nin 1: C

Darui Vs. Suna Nin 5: Darui

Zabuza Vs. Kisame: Double Knock out

Suna Nin 2 Vs. Suna Nin 3: Suna Nin 3

Kabuto Vs. Yagura: Yagura

Suna Nin 4 Vs. Itachi: Itachi

Itachi Vs. Suna Nin 6: Itachi

-.-

"I don't want to talk about it…" Kabuto grumbled as he patched himself up.

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders as he pulled out seemingly random medical items from Kabuto medical pouch. He took a roll of gauges and handed them to Kabuto, "You did good and left an impression."

"Where's Itachi-kun?" Kabuto asked changing the subject as he took the gauges.

Shikamaru stared at Kabuto with a look of mass confusion before but let it go to answer the question. "He went to talk to his cousin that came here."

"He didn't' seem all that pleased when he saw him didn't he?" Kabuto asked.

"Itachi got stuck with two consecutive fights that were a total walk in the park if anything they would use it as a reason to gloat." Shikamaru responded with an eyebrow raised, he turned his attention back to Kabuto's medical pouch. "Are there still spots in the medical program?"

"Hm?" Kabuto hummed thoughtfully. "There are a couple of spots… Are you interested in a medical career?"

"We may not look like it but my clan is already in the medical field." Shikamaru stated, he started to reorganize Kabuto medical supplies. "My mom and dad once had me read The Giant Nara Clan Medical Encyclopedia more times than I want to admit and you may never know when it will come in handy."

"We'll see once we get back to the village." Kabuto smiled.

"Could the both of you shut your traps already?" Kisame groaned in pain from the other side of the room.

"Shut up Kisame!" Zabuza snapped but stopped as he began to groan in pain. "Man...out of the people I have to put up with…"

"Oh, like I have it any better." Kisame attempted to growl but it came out as a hoarse whisper, "I'm never going to get promoted at this rate…"

"You two fought like mindless morons and only accomplish knocking each other out from the exams." Shikamaru deadpanned. "The only one that made _some_ show of effort to being a Chunin is Zabuza for his planning. Kisame…you need to work on your leadership and planning skills."

"I will kill you." Kisame snarled at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru walked towards Kisame and took out his medical file. "You have two broken bones, a concussion, and a dislocated shoulder...You are not allergic to any sort of medications..."

"What are you doing?" Kisame asked warily. He watched as Shikamaru continued to scan through his files.

"I am seeing how much medication I can get into your system without killing you." Shikamaru said offhandedly.

"He will do it." Kabuto pipped up. "He did that to use a couple of times already. He's sadistic…"

"I am not sadistic." Shikamaru muttered throwing Kabuto a dirty look.

"Oh right, I apologize…" Kabuto said sincerely, "You actually are a mas-"

"The Fight will commence in five minutes, Shikamaru Nara of Konoha and C of Kumo head to the arena!" An announce announced through the intercom.

Shikamaru glared passively at Kabuto as he headed out of the Medic-Room. "Not a single word…"

"Not another word about your love life?"

Shikamaru slammed the doors loudly causing all the occupants to groan in pain.

-.-

Itachi let out a mental sigh as he stood in front of his fellow clansmen. They were, in their own Uchiha way, congratulating him for getting this far. As it is expected of him for being the Clan's Head older son and being an Uchiha of course. Itachi really wanted to roll his eyes at many of the praises. Could they point out the tiny flaws and tell him what he could do approve, even if he did win, some sort of feedback instead of this usual stuff.

"You did well, Itachi-sama." Shisui said with a nod.

"The Fight will commence in five minutes, Shikamaru Nara of Konoha and C of Kumo head to the arena."

Itachi glanced up at ceiling raising an eyebrow at the announcement. "I have to go. I was put in a change to ensure Shikamaru gets to his next fight."

Without waiting for a response, Itachi headed off towards the Medic-Room.

Shisui looked over his shoulder to see his fellow clansmen motioning that he would talk to Itachi in private and for them to head back to the stadium stands.

Itachi let out an irritated sigh as he sensed Shisui running towards him; it was not that he hated Shisui. He sees Shisui as an older annoying but protective brother that always has to tattle on him. The last thing he needs is his father breathing down his neck once he gets home after the exams. "Is there something you need to say to me that could be said after the exams?"

"You act like you don't even like me." Shisui sniffled at Itachi's demeanor. "Here I thought we were getting along just great…"

Itachi rolled his eyes at him. "I apologize, I am already at my wits ends with idiots."

Shisui huffed out at Itachi jibbed. "Do you actually believe that I am an idiot…Know what, don't answer that…"

Itachi lips twitched slightly into a smirk, before his grimaced. "What's his excuse for not coming?"

"It's actually a very good one this time." Shisui said as he began to explain. "Since you probably already know that the Nara Clan took in the young Uzumaki, the KMPH have been working around the clock to ensure there isn't any civil unrest."

"Troublesome teammate." Shikamaru muttered as he walked towards Shisui and Itachi. "Talking about something he doesn't even know about…"

"Is Kabuto talking about your love life again Shikamaru?" Itachi teased the younger boy.

"Shut up!" Shikamaru snapped at Itachi. "If you would excuse me, I have to go."

"Is he always this snappy?" Shisui whispered to Itachi.

"Only when it comes to girl." Itachi whispered back.

"I heard that!"

-.-

'What are you planning Shikamaru?' Ran through all the minds that know Shikamaru fight against his opponent, C. Shikamaru started off very sloppy and disorganized which only got worse as the fight continued on.

-.-

"What are you doing Shikamaru?" Gaara whispered under his breath, he sat at the edge of his seat in total anticipation.

"He is getting his behind handed to him." Kankuro snorted, he was filled with total disbelief. How could Shikamaru fight like this, from little time he had known Shikamaru this is not his form of fighting style.

Temari kept a sharp eye on the fight, she kept noticing how Shikamaru silently antagonizing C and leading him to a specific part of the arena floor. He kept trying to get C away from the shadows that were being created from the arena so that he would be in them.

-.-

"Dammit it, C." Darui cursed under his breath as he watched C beginning to lose his cool in the match. It may not seem like it, but C is starting to lose his edge, which allowed Shikamaru to gain control of the situation. "You are following right into the same trap that Mabui fell into."

-.-

"Check-" Shikaku muttered under his breath as he watched his son fight. Even if it appears he is losing, in all actuality it is quite the opposite. "-mate."

-.-

"Gotcha," Shikamaru smirked tiredly at C, whom he caught with his family famed jutsu.

"H-how!" C chocked out in total shock.

"Baiting my time." Shikamaru stated with a loud yawn, he reached pretended to get a kunai making C to copy him. The only difference, C actually took out a kunai. "Now unless you want a huge red smile…forfeit."

"I…forfeit." C spat out glaring at Shikamaru.

"Winner by forfeit, Shikamaru Nara." The proctor called out to the stunned partially stunned crowed.

"Oh, thank kami." Shikamaru wheezed out and quickly canceling the jutsu to fall to his knees. "A second longer I wouldn't be able to hold on the jutsu any longer."

"…You were bluffing." C twitched irritated at the fact he could have just called his bluff instead of doing what he did. 'I should have seen it coming…'

"I prefer to humiliate others."

-.-

Darui brows furrowed as he slowly walked down to the arena floor. His opponent had decided to jump over the balcony to the arena floor below while he opted to take his time and think. He is the only genin left in the exams from Kumo, the other two were both eliminated by the same Leaf Nin. A kid at that to boot, he's never going to hear the end of this…

To be continued…

R/R.


	22. Chapter 22

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Round 2:

Shikamaru Vs. C: Shikamaru

Darui Vs. Suna Nin: Darui

Yagura Vs. Itachi: Itachi

Round 3:

Shikamaru Vs. Darui:

Winner fights Itachi to win the tournament.

-.-

I give up.

Three simple words, three little simple words that sent a total uproar and it resulted with boo's, jeers, and cries of total astonishment.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Shikamaru yawned tiredly as he stood across his opponent and the referee. Take a close look at the four-year-old, you could clearly see he could barely stay standing up, haggard breaths he tried to maintain control of and keeping his left hand in his pocket. "What a drag."

"Wh-what?" Darui said not really believing it yet he is judging from Shikamaru physical appearance. 'Why the heck did he even bothered to come down here?'

The ref blinked owlishly at the Nara not really knowing what should be done. This is a joke, right? The kid was blowing away the competition, even when all the odds are against him and with him ended up being hurt, Shikamaru still fought till the end. Now he is simply giving up before the fight even started and not caring at all at the fact he just embarrassed himself along with his village. He looked up at the Kage bow looking for some sort of answer on what he should do. It was obvious the Nara is having trouble standing up but to give up in such a manner is too shameful.

-.-

"Yoshino is going to kill him." Shikaku chuckled, a twinkle in his eyes that are filled with mirth.

Hiruzen chuckled which he attempted to hide with a cough at the situation. As many had already known why exactly Shikamaru forfeited, but the way he went about it. In one hand he was proud of how Shikamaru made it in the exam. He already is showing the signs of what is needed to be a chunin and with more training, he could make it so far in set career. On the other hand, what he just did, the manner of giving up at just at the start of the fight. It was as if the brat waited for the last minute before the fight, to begin with, all this time. This does look horrible towards the village image if one did not know the village personally…and if Shikamaru was just any other Leaf Shinobi. Since Shikamaru is a Nara, a not so typical one at that, this type of behavior is rather typical. Kudos, for the kid in making it this far into the exam.

"Reminds me of you, Shikaku." Hiruzen chuckled pulling out an old smoking pipe. "A mind of one wide beyond his years…that includes the attitude and body."

Everyone else in the box watched as everyone in the audience three trash and other random objects at Shikamaru. One not so lucky person had managed to hit Shikamaru on the head making the four-year-old to fall back onto the ground. If one would listen closely, they could hear him snore softly.

Safe to say, that they all just witnessed the 'outcome' of this match.

"Disappointment really." Rasa said with disgust, not at all amused of the outcome of this match. "So much for the so-called prodigy of the Nara Clan."

"To think that this…_child_…had caused him so man headaches that past couple of days. If the brat was one of his shinobi, he wouldn't even be standing above ground anymore.

"He ran out of stamina, to hurt and out of moves." Shikaku muttered to himself, ignoring the Kazekage comment about his son. He watched as Raido jumped down at the arena to check on Shikamaru among with a Kabuto and Itachi. The way that Shikamaru is trying to rest, is not a normal average nap. It was not something for kicks either. This one is one to regain energy he had lost in all previous fights. The toll finally got to him.

"He is still too young and he finally knows his limits." Hiruzen commented to Shikaku who nodded in agreement. "Still has room to improve."

"If he does not end up with a promotion, then Yoshino and Naruto are going to finish him off." Shikaku deadpanned after thought came into his mind. He began to mentally send prayers for his son's well-being.

-.-

Naruto watched Shikamaru being carried out of the arena by Raido with Kabuto tagging along. Itachi stayed behind as it was his turn to fight. Watching his brother in all but blood had passed out…fallen asleep it brought up mixed-up feelings about the choice that was made. He knows Shikamaru fighting style is mostly to stall opponents or to make them do something to themselves to finish off the fight. What he does to make that happen, he still does not know, giving up is only something that he's seen Shikamaru do when he knows he is not going to win, lost interest, or…he knows is going to be outright troublesome and pointless.

Never once has Naruto seen Shikamaru in this sort of state. Weak and frail.

"Yoshino-sama is going to throttle him." Naruto wept as another realization hit him. Yoshino always got furious when one the other or both of them end up hurt.

"You could stay over when it happens." Choza offered to the weeping child.

"The kid is doomed." Inoichi said shaking his head at how people were reacting towards Shikamaru small show. "Still fought amazingly in all of his other fights, but this will always be stuck with him for the rest of his life."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing, Inoichi-sama?" Naruto asked him.

"Depends." Inoichi responded. "It could give him favor in deceiving his opponents but this could look bad towards future clients."

"…Could I go see him?"

"And miss the final match?"

"It's Itachi versus that other guy Shikamaru was supposed to fight." Naruto responded pointing down at the arena floor. Darui and Itachi were staring at each other waiting for the spectators to regain some peace to start their fight. "I'll hear about it through the rumor mill. Later!"

Without another word, Naruto ran off.

-.-

The Suna Siblings watched with mixed emotions at what they just watched.

"Oh come on!" Kankuro yelled out in total disbelief. "What a total let down."

"Shut up Kankuro." Temari snapped at her brother and promptly smacked him.

Gaara ignored his sibling's antics as he watched Shikamaru take in all the boo's, jeers and glares from everyone in the stands. All he did was to look up at the audience and take it in without a single care. Not once did he wavered from it, taking it all in…until a bottle hit Shikamaru smack dab on the forehead which seemed to knock him out. Gaara didn't know if he should feel at that moment.

Temari let out a sigh after she finally managed to shut her brother up, with fear of course. She watched with worry-filled eyes as she watched Shikamaru be carried off by his teacher and teammate. She is worried just how would everyone is going to react to this. The eldest of the siblings knew their father is going to do something about this. Whatever it was, it might not only affect her but also her brother.

She actually started to like..._enjoy _his presence.

"Still though…" Kankuro sulked. "He should have done something…"

-.-

"I told him he should have forfeited and not to go out there." Kabuto sighed as he took in Shikamaru's condition as Raido attempted to place Shikamaru onto a medical cot. "His chakra levels are dangerously low, his left arm is dislocated with his wrist sprained, bruised ribs and has a concussion."

"Well… he did forfeit." Raid sighed trying to pry Shikamaru off of him. The four-year-old had a tight grip on his vest and showed no signs of letting go. "Did an entire show about it."

"Still…I would be more surprised if he didn't do something this spontaneous." Kabuto chuckled. "He must be extremely tired. He only clings onto things when he is."

"We are going to have to break him out of this habit." Raido grinned in triumph as he managed to get Shikamaru grip off himself and onto a pillow. "I'll come back later. Itachi's fight is going to start soon."

Raido quickly walked off in hopes to catch his final student fight.

The moment he closed the door behind himself, the door slammed open making all the other occupants in the room to groan out in pain.

"Shikamaru!" More groans of pain.

Naruto ran into the room looking for his brother.

"Inside voice, Naruto." Kabuto chided him.

Naruto waved him off not really caring he stood at the foot of Shikamaru's bed to see him completely out cold. "Whoa…He really is out."

"Let him rest, Naruto." Kabuto sighed, he pointed at a chair for Naruto to sit on. "He needs it."

"Hey, Kabuto…" Naruto said uneasily, pulling up the chair to sit next to Shikamaru.

"Hm?" Kabuto hummed checking over Shikamaru's injuries.

"Why is he knocked out like this?" Naruto asked pointing at Shikamaru. "He normally isn't like this after a fight. What exactly is wrong with him?"

"His main issue is chakra exhaustion, he used up too much chakra and is going through the drawbacks that come with it." Kabuto explained to him. "He just needs some rest for now."

"Kabuto?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think that he's going to be okay?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"He is going to be okay. This sort of thing is…" Kabuto twirled his hand trying to look for the proper words. "Typical for a lot of shinobi."

"I wonder if this ever happened to me?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"No, you have too much chakra and never used it all to suffer the after-effects of it." Kabuto said offhandedly, leaving Naruto thinking about that.

-.-

The final fight of the Chunin Exams, even if the previous 'fight' was something not what many expected all tension from it came into this fight. Everyone watched as the two opponents stare down at the other, sizing up the other. Both of them from a different village said villages that has clear tension against the other and this could very well set another log into the flame.

"Itachi Uchiha of Konoha versus Darui of Kumo…"

To be continued…

R/R.


	23. Chapter 23

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"Finally! We can go back home!"

"Inside voice, Naruto-kun."

"We still have some time left before we actually leave."

"Where's Shikamaru?"

"Saying his good-byes."

-.-

"If you even are in the area you could find me there." Shikamaru handed a letter to a teary-eyed Gaara along with his almost as teary-eyed siblings. "Warning though, you might end up meeting up with mom or Naruto first. If you're lucky enough, my dad will be there. With my mom…you're out of luck."

"She can't be that bad, is she?" Kankuro asked with an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed over his chest.

"She's known around the village to be rather….hostile…when it comes to a lot of things…" Shikamaru trailed off trying to find the right words to describe his mother. " Plus she had put fear into a lot of people, mainly shinobi…and right about the entire male population of Konoha too."

The siblings stared at him as they digested his words. Of course, over the course of time, they knew Shikamaru, his father and adopted brother, all three have said a couple of things about the Nara matriarch but they had to be blowing things out of portion.

"Why did you your dad marry her then?" Kankuro asked bewildered before elbowed by his sister. Temari gave him a glare but Kankuro ignored it.

"It's a curse." Shikamaru responded with a shrug. "Nara males tend to marry troublesome women."

Gaara blinked owlishly at Shikamaru before he looked up at his older sister and back at Shikamaru. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at him wondering just what was going through Gaara's mind.

"Anyway." Temari said gaining Shikamaru's attention. She avoided his gaze as she spoke to him. "You were great at the exams..."

Shikamaru shrugged not really caring about the exams or wanted to remind of it. "Thanks, I guess. I just hope I do not have to repeat it. One time is just too much for me. What a drag."

Temari brow twitched irritably at how dismissive Shikamaru blew off her words. She glared at him and became to tower over him. "Why you little…"

"I better get going." Shikamaru coughed out sensing the immediate danger towards his life. "I'll send a letter as soon as I can."

"I'm not finished with you!"

Kankuro and Gaara watched their older sister chased after Shikamaru. The latter of the two high tailed it out of their crying out his notable catchphrases every time the blonde caught up with him.

"Man…Shikamaru is right." Kankuro laughed as he and Gaara heard Shikamaru yelp out in pain.

"About what?" Gaara asked him.

"Temari is troublesome."

Gaara grinned at Kankuro's words. "Of course she is."

"I'm what?"

The brothers froze with fear, they didn't even notice that Temari returned from chasing Shikamaru around. Taking a note from Shikamaru's notebook, they ran…

-.-

The Third Hokage puffed out several puffs of smoke from his old wooden pipe as he scanned through several filed of all the Konoha genin that entered the Chunin exams. He sat in a carriage that heavily guarded by his primary protection squad.

Normally he would go through the files with his advisers, primarily Shikaku Nara. The said adviser is the primary person that Hiruzen would usually go to in such matters. This time, however, since Shikaku son is one of the said genins that entered the exams and decided to walk through the desert by foot instead of being in the carriage taking care of the paperwork that needed to be done immediately. The bastard…

The main issue would be is that said adviser son's team is the only genin team that made it all the way to the final round of the Chunin Exams.

The Third picked up the file of Team 4 that held all the profiles of each member of the team. Out of all three, Kabuto Yakushi is the only one he is most worried about. He was the first one to be eliminated in the first round. His opponent did not give Kabuto any leeway to showcase his abilities to the fullest extent. Bad match up in that term sense. If only he was given some time or space he could have done more to perhaps the promotion. Shikamaru Nara, the youngest of the three, only fought twice in the tournament and to only forfeit in the third match before it even started. Out of all three, Hiruzen was the most surprised. The Third would have thought the four-year-old would have called it quits before the first match or the entire exam to start with… Finally Itachi Uchiha, out of all three of his teammates he fought the most and won all of his fights. The young Uchiha showed great proficiency with his bloodline and pure natural talent in the Shinobi Arts.

The Sarutobi chuckled at the memory of Itachi's last and final fight. He'd have to thank Shikaku for putting Shikamaru in the same team as Itachi. The Uchiha prodigy is finally getting a different view on life then what is seen in the Uchiha Clan and what he viewed through events throughout his entire life. Even if the kid started to inherit some of the Nara's annoying hobbies…

_Flashback…_

_Itachi panted heavily, his left arm hung limply on his side and in the other hand he held a tanto tightly. On the other side and in similar condition as him is Darui who preferred his right leg over his left as the tightly gripped his sword. Both of them were at the end of their ropes with this final fight of the Chunin Exams. In this fight, it is to determine who is the strongest not only in their own terms but also in their stances of their respected villages._

_In a silent agreement, both genins propelled themselves forward weapons drawn for the final strike. The entire stadium sucked in an anticipated breath as they all watched. A sharp clinging sound of metal hitting metal rang out but no one said a single thing as they now saw that the opponents had ended up at the opposite sides of the arena. The both of them stood with their backs facing each other. Then... Both boys fell into the ground._

_The referee checked on both boys. Darui had been knocked out due to his injuries and Itachi… the kid was softly snoring and knocked out for a different reason._

_End of Flashback…_

This is going to pursue Itachi for the rest of his life.

-.-

"It's hot…" Naruto said lamely as Shikaku carried him through the hot desert, walking alongside Team 4. "So hot."

"We know." Shikamaru started rolling his shoulders, he tensed when he began to pull a certain muscle. "What a drag."

"You shouldn't have antagonized Temari-san especially since you are still recovering." Kabuto clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. He helped Shikamaru set his arm back albeit painfully so in Shikamaru's opinion.

"That's the thing. I don't know what I did this time." Shikamaru winced at the memory of what the Suna princess did to him this time around.

"Keep this in mind for the future, boys." Shikaku said in a voice filled with age-old wisdom. This caused Naruto, Shikamaru, Itachi, Kabuto and Raido attention. "With women, you are always the blame and don't say anything to contradict them."

Raido nodded in total understanding as he had seen and gone through such a thing.

Itachi and Kabuto glanced at each other wondering just what to make out of that exactly of the advice. They know the woman that inspired Shikaku words but they haven't really done anything to have Yoshino wave a wooden spoon towards them for whatever reason…so far. Any other way they hold tight to that information and save it for a rainy day.

"I'm proud of you boys." Raido said out of the blue for several minutes of silence had passed by. His team glanced up at him with questioning eyes.

"You do realize you're still in trouble right?"

Shikaku chuckled as he heard Team 4 began to argue against their teacher. He speeds up to give them some privacy. He didn't need Naruto to pick up on more bad habits from them, mostly from Shikamaru, that would probably end up with getting blamed by his wife. The Nara's head began to wonder about his wife, his friends had gone ahead back towards the village to spread the news what had occurred in the exams…

"Shikaku-sama?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Do…do you think I can be a great shinobi?" Naruto asked hesitantly, his grasp around his adoptive father neck tighten.

Shikaku glanced over at Naruto who had his chin resting on Nara's shoulder. He took note of Naruto's somber expression. No matter how many times the Nara clan head saw this expression on Naruto, his heart would tighten with anger. Even if he had recently seen the same expression as of late on Shikamaru but the young genin reason is far more different than Naruto. Shikamaru for diving into the world of life and death, the life of a shinobi. Naruto has yet to fully understand such matter, yet it seemed to have a sort of insight towards it. Who to blame him?

"You are going to be a stupendous shinobi, Naruto." Shikaku responded wholeheartedly, not missing a beat.

"Ah…" Naruto hummed taking in Shikaku's words. He then bluntly asked, "What does stupe-dous mean?"

"Stupendous?"

"Yeah that, what does it mean?"

"Stupendous…hm." Shikaku hummed as he thought of the definition of said word. "Causing amazement, astounding, marvelous or something extraordinary."

"…Do you really think so?" Naruto asked him, his voice barely above a whisper. He snuggled into Shikaku's shoulder in an attempted to block out the sun.

"I know so Naruto."

"…"

"…"

"Why does this keep happening to me…"

Shikaku and Naruto head shot up when they heard that, they turned their heads around to see a tied up Raido being dragged through the hot sands by his genin team. Whom all look a little too kill-happy. Blinking slowly in an attempt to comprehend what was happening, Shikaku turned back around ignoring what he just witnessed while Naruto giggled manically at the scene.

-.-

The return back to the village became a sort of spectacular for Team Four, compromised of young prodigies, two of which are heirs to their respected clans which the last genin is the only known genin that can keep up and keep them in check. Coming back home making their respective families proud… or disappointed.

Itachi ignored his father as he put on his sandals. It seemed his cousin and clansmen had told his father of his actions back at Suna. Nothing seemed to please the Uchiha clan head. So what if he is making friends out of the clan, isn't that the main reason for being placed in teams at such a young age. To promote friendships…and mental, social and emotional health too?

"Itachi!"

Itachi rolled his eyes at his father yell. This only prompted him to take to the roofs and quickly leave the compound before anyone caught him.

'I made it to the final round, so what if the last match was a tie.' Itachi thought to take a familiar path to the Nara compound. "Bad infl-"

"Itachi-kun!"

Itachi stopped mid-jump and landed on a flag pole. He turned around and looked down to see Kabuto heading towards him. Itachi eyes narrowed at the older genin, he was clearly, to him, walking with slight limp, kept pressing his palm to his cheek which gave off a dull glow which signified the silver-haired genin is attempting to heal himself.

Kabuto waved off the Uchiha to make him stay quiet. Itachi faces puckered in disgust at how dismissive his teammate is of his condition. Everyone time he or their other teammate are injured he always made sure they were okay and top condition. What is happening right now is such… Itachi knew who just knew who is doing this to Kabuto, but every time the Uchiha or even the Nara bring up the subject of the Council Member, he would dismiss the subject. Like now…

"To the Nara compound? Yes? Let's go." Kabuto jumped up towards the roofs, not giving Itachi a chance to speak. He inwardly winced when he landed as his right leg. Inwardly cursing the day he had joined Danzo or just the mummified councilor in general. One of the said councilors goons had managed to take away a vast majority of his which prevented him from healing himself properly.

'Just for something I am not fully control of myself.' Kabuto thought to take another jump forward. 'They say one thing and it means another thing in total.'

"Here." Itachi called out to Kabuto, in his hand is a small pouch. "The last thing you need is Yoshino-sama badgering you about your…appearance."

Kabuto caught the small pouch when Itachi threw it at him. He opened it to reveal a couple of solider pills. "Thanks." '

"We're not down with this though." Itachi said jumping away from Kabuto. "Not by a long shot."

Kabuto only shook his head, Itachi truly changed in the last couple of months since Shikamaru joined the team. He wouldn't have been this worried back then without taking action.

"This is going to make things extremely difficult." Kabuto chided himself crushing a pill with this teeth.

-.-

Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka clans and several other invited guests gathered around in the Nara compound for a celebration for one of their own. It's not every day that a Nara is more than willing to fight for everything yet for nothing.

Shikamaru munched on a sticky rice cake as he listened to Ino talk his ear off along with Naruto, Choji, and Lee. The party, which was planned out by his mother, just began and the Nara heir just wanted it to end. Parties were never his thing, to begin with.

"You're very strong, Shika-kun!" Ino gushed out.

"Of course he is!" Naruto interrupted her jabbering. "Just you wait, he'll be the strongest shinobi there ever be!"

"His flames of youth will truly shine brightly!" Lee added in.

"Nope." Choji butted in getting all of their attention. "He'll be the laziest and smartest there is."

"Finally someone who gets me." Shikamaru chuckled that quickly turned into full-blown laughter.

Choji, Ino, Lee, and Naruto glanced at each other, their expressions filled with worry.

"Are you okay Shikamaru?" Naruto asked him, nudging him on the genin's shoulder.

Like a switch, Shikamaru laughter diminished and he turned back to his bored expression. "No. The results of the exams haven't come in and I am freaking out over it."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Ino asked, her face scrunched up trying to understand what Shikamaru is worried about.

Shikamaru let out a sigh not really wanted to get into details knowing that he would probably get them confused. "I don't want to repeat the exams…"

"Was it really that bad?" Lee asked Shikamaru.

Everyone minus Shikamaru looked over at Naruto for an answer.

Naruto looked away from them, not wanting to elaborate on what he had seen and heard of the exams.

Shikamaru about to open his mouth to say something a smirk crossed Naruto's features.

"He met a troublesome blonde over there…an older troub-"

Shikamaru mushed his rice cake into Naruto's mouth, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Shut up."

Naruto eyes sparkled with mirth. "Hehehe."

"Troublesome brother." Shikamaru muttered under his breath."

"Brother?" Ino asked, her brows furrowed not liking the fact there is something afoot and has no clue what it is.

"Naruto-kun was adopted into the Nara clan." Lee answered her taking a pastry treat from a plate that was set for them.

"Really since when?" Why didn't anyone tell me!"

-.-

Kabuto and Itachi trekked towards the main household of the Nara compound. The party was at full swing and as they passed by the other party goers they either patted them on the back or head and congratulated them about the exams. Such a different reception from what they had received earlier.

"Itachi! Kabuto!"

Itachi and Kabuto turned around to suddenly see Yoshino in front of them, the Nara matriarch bent downwards and hugged both boys tightly. Both of them stiffened not really accustomed to such affection as of late. Then that feeling turned into familiarity when Yoshino suddenly pulled at their ears. "You two are late! And look at you two, the both of you look like you haven't had a decent meal in days."

Kabuto and Itachi allowed themselves to be dragged through the party by their ears. Yoshino dragged them towards a half-empty table and plopped them in empty chairs. They sat their uneasily as they watched Yoshino disappear within the crowd.

In that instant, Itachi and Kabuto rubbed their ears trying to regain some feeling in their ears. Yep, now that felt more familiar in a better sense. Are they complaining about it? No. This is familiar to them, and a better change of scenery than what they just came from. Now if they could regain some feeling back into their ears…

Not even a moment later, Yoshino reappeared with two plates filled with food for them. She placed the plates in front of the boys, took a step back and waited with her arms crossed…

Kabuto and Itachi quickly dug into their food. Yoshino's food always made them feel better after hitting a rough patch. Said Nara matriarch softly smiled before she walked off screaming at her husband at being a terrible host.

To be continued…

R/R.


	24. Chapter 24

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/c: I own nothing…

-.-

Five years…It has been five years since he made the decision of becoming a Shinobi. He will not back down, he will continue on with that choice and he will prevail… Even if it is so troublesome.

Shikamaru stared down at the shogi that sat between him and his father with a look of total concentration, to bad it's not really on the game. His father played his final move winning the game easily. The younger Nara let out a sigh at the defeat but not really caring at the same time, he had to much in his mind to think about.

"When were you planning on telling us about your promotion?" Shikaku asked rather too bluntly for his son's taste. Shikamaru didn't expect anything less from his father though, it's in both of their natures.

Tugging on the same gray and teal jacket that had seen it's better days in an attempt to figure out what to say, Shikamaru looked out towards the Nara Forest as he spoke. "Itachi been avoiding getting promotion in Anbu, Kabuto is thinking of taking the Jonin exams next year and I just got promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin last week…"

Shikaku blinked slowly as he took in his son's words, he knew of his son's teammates, close friends rank and along with their predicaments. Since the Chunin exams in Suna five years ago, Shikamaru and Itachi were both promoted to Chunin. Since that day, things changed. From what Shikaku witnessed, far to fast for his son to handle emotional and sociable. Shikamaru is a formable Shinobi but he has been having issues with his personal young life. The brat went head-on into his career which resulted in being continuous on the move. There were only a couple of things that remained constant are his team and family. His family, which included a lot of his friends namely the Akimichi and Yamanaka as they are part of his family, stood by him every step of the way and stood by Shikamaru even with his long absences.

Team Four or Team Raido as it is been known, is the main running constant in all three boys life. Ever since the promotions, Itachi after becoming a Chunin he quickly got promoted to Jonin out of all three boys he's been doing more solo missions more often than not. Kabuto was the only one that didn't get promoted during their first exam, he decided to join a medical program that was set in the hospital and the following Chunin exam he retook the exam passing it with flying colors. Finally Shikamaru, due to his size and age, even if he is a prodigy in many people eyes not everyone takes him seriously. The only reason he took the exam to become a Tokubetsu, from what he gathered through the grapevine (AKA: Inoichi), was because of Raido persistence.

No matter how much Itachi, Kabuto, and Shikamaru mock, argue or embarrasses their teacher they always hold the Tokubetsu Jonin in high regards for putting up with them. Namely, with all the abuse, they throw out at him. It's all in good fun. Perhaps…this could be the reason why Shikamaru is in such a sour mood?

"I heard that Raido is permanently returning to his previous positon?" Shikaku asked his son, whose expression only soured. "It's an important job, Shikamaru."

"He's part of Lord Hokage's protection squad, one of the best for that job." Shikamaru responded tiredly. "The moment he'll that job again, Team Four will be disbanded…"

Shikaku chuckled which resulted with his son glaring at him, in response the older Nara reached over and ruffled his son's hair.

Shikamaru pouted sensing that his hair was let out from its usual style.

"The bond you three created will always be there, Itachi and Kabuto always have the time to come to dinner when they have time and your teamwork is nearly flawless." Shikaku said retracting his arm away from his son seeing that the brat was glaring at his hand. "Look at my team, we mana-"

"I don't want to end up like a drunk like you and have my significant other or my kid drag me away from bars totally drunk." Shikamaru deadpanned unblinkingly.

"At least you have plans on getting married and having kids in the future." Shikaku said not even denying his son's words.

-.-

'Coup d'état.' Itachi thought furiously, biting on his tongue harshly and unconsciously swallowing down his own blood. His hands clenched tightly, shaking excessively the only notion he did to show his current mood. 'Father is planning a…coup d'état and that's not even the worst part.'

"Danzo is planning something and has yet to tell me what he has plan." Shisui whispered to his younger cousin, he kept looking over his shoulder to ensure that they were not being watched. "Whatever he has planned it's n-"

Itachi raised his hand to signify Shisui to be quiet as he thought over what he was told. 'Father…Danzo…the both of you are playing a dangerous game…'

"Continue on as before and report to me with any updates." Itachi informed Shisui, who nodded his head in confirmation. "If you believe you are in danger, you know what to do."

Again, Shisui nodded in understanding. "What are you going to do?"

"If there is someone that knows more of this, is my dear teammate." Itachi said he rubbed the back of his neck wondering just what he should say to Kabuto.

"Does he already know of this?"

Itachi didn't show any physical notion that could give himself away. "No, for everyone's safety. Keep him out of this."

-.-

Kabuto panted heavily, leaning into a bloodied sink filled. Both of his arms braced on either side of the sink and his head faced downward to avoid seeing himself in the mirror. In one hand he held onto a bloodied scalpel. Taking in a deep breath, Kabuto puked blood into the sink. 'Curse that man, damn it all to kami!'

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Kabuto looked up to see himself into the mirror. What he saw made him hit the mirror cracking it, no matter how many times he saw his reflection he could not help but flinch. Every time he sees himself, the same questions always pop into his mind. _Who is he? Where does he belong? What are his actual roots?_

Amnesia, that word that hunted Kabuto for so long. Kabuto has no memory prior of being found in a battlefield and since then he questioned who he exactly he is. It did not help that Danzo has him continuously being undercover with different identities, background, and a new name. Mission after mission that has him doing that, are taking massive to his mind. If this keeps up, he might end up finish what he started doing earlier with the scalpel.

Kabuto quickly healed whatever self-inflicted wounds he created and washing up all the blood in the bathroom. He had a feeling his secret wouldn't be a secret any longer. After cleaning everything up, Kabuto turned on the water to the shower. Hopefully, the hot water could help him regain some strength.

-.-

"Man…this is so annoying…"

"You find everything annoying, Idiot."

"Shut up, Teme."

"*Munch* Come on you guys *Munch* Ino's going to be made if we are going to be late again *Munch*."

Nine-year-olds, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, glared at each other with the utmost hate that any eight years old could conjure up. Naruto grasped onto Sasuke high collar with the later grabbed onto the blonde's green handkerchief. Neither of them backed down from their stare down not wanting to show any weakness to the other.

Choji crunched the now empty potato chip bag and put it in his backpack where he keeps his stash of food. He pulled out another bag of chips, turning on his heels as he headed towards the direction of the Academy. "Yoshino-obasan is going to kill you guys if you are late again because Iruka-sensei gave the both of you detention."

Naruto muttered under his breath about not wanting to get a detention and to have his adoptive mother find out about it. He'll never hear the end of it. He let go of Sasuke, who had similar thoughts. He more or less knows the Nara matriarch as his brother would take him to the Nara home or if the woman ever dropped off or picked up the blonde idiot. From those times and moments, he knew that woman is someone you do not want to trifle with.

"Come on, if we run we might make it there before Iruka-sensei starts the class." Choji said as he ran off. Quickly, Naruto and Sasuke caught up to the Akimichi.

Sasuke glanced over at the other boys as he ran along the side of them and began to wonder how he ended up stuck with them as…_friends_. Naruto he knew when Itachi introduced him along with this teammate Shikamaru. Since then, Itachi more or less began to drag him along whenever his older brother knew that the Nara brought along the Idiot or his other friends. Out of all the kids he hung out with, he preferred to hang out with Naruto and Choji. Not that he'll tell them. Since then, it became a habit to hang out with them. Naruto didn't treat him differently for the fact he's the second son of the current head of the Uchiha clan and it's fun to get him riled up. As for Choji…Sasuke is torn to being scared and content with that friendship. Scared for the fact he had first hand saw the Akimichi literally use his own body to launch people into the sky without a second thought if they called him the F-word and content for the fact that Choji doesn't push Sasuke to talk, a challenge or anything he finds annoying.

After the long run, they finally made it to the academy it seemed that class was about to start. In one final burst of energy, the three boys ran towards their class in hopes they do not get a tardy.

Hopes were on their sides as they entered the classroom to not see their teacher anywhere. What they did see is a very pissed off Ino Yamanaka, unfortunately for them, the moment they thought about running off Iruka walked in behind them announcing the start of class.

-.-

Kabuto stood in front of the Nara home, a place where he called home for the last five years. His gazed faced down towards the ground as he thought over what he wanted to say, he had spent a good amount of time trying to talk to someone without the fear of freezing up or attempt to cover it up with a lie.

"Dad and Itachi are waiting inside you know…"

Kabuto couldn't help a small chuckle escape his lips, till this day Shikamaru could always sneak up on his and Itachi with little to no problem making them seem like noobs. "I know. I'm just taking my time is all."

Shikamaru peaked his head over the roof of his home to see Kabuto still standing in the same spot. Whatever he needed to say had been to said that instant and as much as he enjoyed taking his own time in doing things, Shikamaru knew when to get a move on when it calls for it. "Kabuto…we know that your working for Danzo, what he has you do we don't know. Whatever he has you doing has to stop, you are destroying yourself. Yes, we know about that habit of yours… don't glare. You either fess up now or Itachi and I will embarrass you again."

"You know… the last time you lectured me was back in our first exam." Kabuto chuckled weakly, his voice cracked as he spoke. "I just don't want things to end badly. I don't want this to end."

Shikamaru slid off his roof and landed next to Kabuto. He looked up at his friend and teammate with a pensive expression. "I had the same conversation with my dad earlier."

"What was his answer?"

"….Just imagine how dad is with his friends, there were friends and teammates for ages. They still managed to remain good friends…"

"I don't want to become a drunk…"

"Me neither. Come on, we need to talk to my dad. Whatever Itachi needs to tell him sure made him freak out."

"Is he raiding the entire house for sweets again?"

"Yes."

-.-

Inside the Nara home…

Itachi stuffed his mouth with sweet after sweet he could find in the Nara household. So far he raided the fridge, all the cupboards, pantry or the kitchen in general. He just found Shikamaru's not so secret stash of candy in his Nara's room. Unknown to many outside the Nara home, Itachi Uchiha has a habit of eating massive amounts of sweets when he's either overly stressed or in a very good mood. Right now it's the former reason.

It has been increasingly harder to hide all the sweets in the house as it appeared that Itachi has a six and even a seventh sense when it came to sweets of any kind. Shikaku even once hid a whole bag of chocolate bars in a pile of hay once, not even an hour later he found covered in hay sitting on the porch eating said chocolate bars.

Itachi stood up, leaving a giant pile of wrappers behind him, and left the room continuing on the hunt for more candy or anything he deemed sweet. His ears twitched when he heard the familiar sound of plastic being crumbled up. Following it, Itachi ended up in Shikaku's office with the said owner sitting on a futon with a candy bar in hand. Shikaku threw the candy bar who caught it and sat across of Shikaku while munching on the bar.

"Are you any close to being done?" Shikaku asked Itachi.

"For now." Itachi responded with a shrug finishing the candy bar. He looked over his shoulder to glance over at the doorway to see that both Kabuto and Shikamaru walked up to the hallway towards the room he was in currently. "They're here…finally."

"Did you go into my room?" Shikamaru said with obvious annoyance. Bunched up in his hands are a bunch of candy wrappers. "How the heck do you keep finding my candy?"

"We are not here to talk about such a silly matter. We need to talk about something rather important eh Kabuto?"

To be continued…

R/R.


	25. Chapter 25

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing…

-.-

Shikaku leaned against a massive tree looking up at the dark sky with his typical bored expression. His hands in his pockets, the wind blowing lightly causing the trees surrounding him sway around him and his mind worked overtime as he thought of what happened earlier that day.

'Danzo is going to start a Fourth War with his plans of _peace_.' Shikaku expression darkened momentarily. 'Enough is enough, I am no longer going to stand for what you have done.'

Bribing, blackmailing and taking children from the orphanage for a _program _that was _dedicated for_ the protection of the village. Children Danzo assumed no one will miss or care for if they go missing or if they end up being dead as no one knows who they are in the first place.

Shikaku frowned, if Kabuto had not come up to him about what was happening behind the scenes about Danzo, then he would not have done anything. Then again, how could Shikaku do anything if the Mummy always ensured to cover his tracks. Even with his abilities, the Nara's head doubted he could have been able to do anything without proof of any kind. Now with what Kabuto had told him, it's all the proof he needed.

'Locations, profiles of all missions, members and plans for future projects.' Shikaku mentally checked off in his mind, he pushed himself away from the three and headed out of his family's forest.

'Kabuto is going to need several secessions with Inoichi for the next couple of months along with Yoshino's care and the boy's pranks to get him out of his state of mind.' Shikaku thought about his son's silver-haired teammate. He recalled how Kabuto broke down, physically, mentally and emotionally in front of him and his teammates.

The Chunin told them everything, from the moment he was taken in by the former head of the orphanage, volunteering to join Root to ensure that the orphanage receives money, the brutal training, all the missions he partook and what was the icing of the cake…Kabuto unknowingly at the time, killing his adoptive mother. Since then, Kabuto's life has been spiraling downwards until a certain Nara prodigy came into the picture introducing him what it feels to have a family, friends and having people truly care for his well being. That was when Kabuto could no longer hold back what he kept hidden away for so long…

-.-

"Does anyone else outside your clan know of this?"

Itachi kneeled before the Hokage, head bowed down deeply. "…I have."

"I take it that you told your teammates. " Hiruzen murmured, complementing on what he should do with the information he was given. The old man glanced around his office to see his that only half of the Elder Council was there with them, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. The two that weren't there were Danzo Shimura and on and off again member, Shikaku Nara. The latter of which Hiruzen suspected was actually the first person Itachi informed first before heading to the Hokage and his councilors.

Should they be furious? Yes.

Is he? No.

Why? Because it would be right down troublesome to even bother with it.

Itachi curled his hands into fists in an attempt to hold back his tongue. He said his part, not to much but not to little. After all, it is too soon to have mummy face know that his reign is about to end. Now he could only go through mentally all of Shikamaru's plan in his mind. So far, Itachi's teammate has a total of twenty-seven to forty-eight plans. Many of the outcomes… are not so forthcoming. It all depends on all the variables that are part of the equation.

The office door slammed open, everyone minus Itachi looked over to see Danzo stride into the room shutting the door behind himself. It appeared he has not amused a meeting was happening and he was not informed or invited to said meeting.

This time, Itachi bit his tongue to prevent a groan of annoyance to escape his lips. 'Now it's down to fifty-five plans.'

"What is the meaning of this? How was I not informed of this meeting?"

'He's mad. Went up to sixty-three plans.'

Itachi mentally counted up and down of all the plans, many of the plans were good or bad. The main issue with the plans is the wild card, Danzo. Fortunately for Itachi, he has his own (not so) wild card.

"We have to extermi-" Danzo began to say but was silenced when Hiruzen focused his killer intent towards him.

Itachi, in turn, attempted to remain impassive, the sheer thought of having his family and clan being killed off like trash. Many of them are innocent, but to _them,_ they all need to be punished. The consequences of such action would be just as if not worse off if the Uchiha clan were to fully attack against the village. The end result would lead the Hidden Leaf Village open to its enemy, even if there was a winner there would be nothing to claim in the end.

"Itachi….what I am to ask you could be the hardest thing I could ever task with someone…" Hiruzen said heavily, his shoulders sagged at what was saying to the Uchiha Prodigy.

'Plans left…six.' Itachi thought grimly as he only nodded his head at the task that the Third is asking him to do. To become a double spy, Itachi couldn't help but snort at the thought of it. His father actually wanted him to do the same but to spy on the Third. Why is he doing this? For the Will of Fire, if there is one thing that Itachi loves more besides his family and that is the village as a whole. His only hopes that there will be little to no bloodshed in the end.

-.-

Shikaku strolled through the Hokage Tower casually as he did. No one was really around expected for a couple of guards and Anbu hid from sight. His pace slowed down when he caught sight of the Hokage's office. Luckily for him, the secretary had retired for the night. Shikaku paused when he saw the doorknob twist signaling someone was opening the door.

Only taking a moment to think what he should do, Shikaku decided to lean against a wall which allowed whoever left the office and anyone in direct sight to see him. The Nara Clan head held back a smirk when he saw Itachi walk out of the office with a look oh semi shock when he caught sight of him.

Itachi closed the door behind himself silently and walked over towards Shikaku. "How long have you been here?"

Shikaku shrugged. "Just enough."

Itachi stared up at him wondering why Shikaku didn't bother with coming into the meeting. Shikaku presence could have changed the way the meeting had gone out. A boost of confidence, safety, and more plans. "Are you heading in there?"

"In a moment." Shikaku said he stared impassively at Itachi. There was no easier way of saying this, he had only brisk through this topic earlier with Itachi and it's rather messed up to ask anyone really. "Are you sure you are okay with what _might _happen?"

"That's the thing Shikaku-sama…" Itachi said under his breath. "It's not might it's when it will happen. When it comes down to it, I would be the one to ensure the village stays safe."

"Are you sure you don't want me to…?"

"I do not want the Nara clan to be part of this mess. The moment you partake in this, father and the others will lock their sights on you and your family." Itachi said firmly.

Shikaku placed his hand on top of Itachi's head in a caring gesture. "Then that case, I'll help you when it comes with Danzo then."

Itachi blinked blankly at Shikaku. "You are impossible."

"I've been told."

-.-

Three months later…

Itachi furiously wrote in a notebook about an Uchiha meeting that partook the previous night. The meeting went on as it did any other meeting, continuing on with the plans of overtaking the village ensuring that the Uchiha stayed on top, how the other clans were inferior to them and several other things but he was to focused on something else to really pay attention to what was being said.

There was something or someone else in the room, no matter how many times Itachi attempted to figure out who it was said person disappeared but whatever they wanted to do was done. They were stroking the fire, for how long it's been going on? Itachi has no clue, there was something familiar to it. He just couldn't put a finger to it.

If someone was not doing what they are doing, then things would have been…different. It was only until recent years that talk of a massive takeover started. Not once did the Uchiha, his father, considered ever doing this without it having it…planted into his mind.

Snap.

Itachi unintentionally broke his pencil at the thought. It could very well be a possibility. A very truthful possibility.

"Itachi, we need to talk."

Itachi snapped his notebook closed as he glanced over his shoulder to see Shisui. In the pit of Itachi's stomach, he knew times is running out for his family, especially after what his cousin just informed him of. 'This is what I was afraid of…'

-.-

Kabuto rubbed his neck with his left arm in an attempt to relieve some pent of tension. He glanced over towards the trees that surrounded the route he would normally take to the hospital, there were several Root members hiding and watching to ensure he completed his task. His task, manipulate Itachi Uchiha into convincing killing the entire Uchiha Clan only saving those Danzo believes he could use for Root.

Remembering the meeting he was summoned to by Danzo three months earlier, Shisui is picked to help along with this task. The only thing that is going to happen is going to leave Danzo in a very compromising position.

The only problem?

Even if they know what Danzo plans are, it does not mean he doesn't have anything else up his sleeve. Something that was never part of the equation in the first place.

A loud cawing sound caught his attention, it made Kabuto's sense to go overdrive. He looked around him to suddenly see a crow flying towards him. 'Itachi, this better be a false alarm.'

The crow landed on Kabuto, it discreetly placed a note into Kabuto's headband while it extended it's leg out that held another note. Kabuto took note that his stalkers are long gone now, believing he's on the track of his mission.

-.-

Shikamaru looked up towards the cloudless sky, the first sign of a bad day for him. No clouds, means no cloud watching his favorite past time.

"Come on Shikamaru, you promised us you would train us today!"

Shikamaru mentally groaned remembering why he was outside today of all days. He had promised he would train his brother. The only problem with said brother brought along a couple of his friends. Fortunately for Shikamaru, it was only Choji, Ino and Sasuke. Everyone else headed directly home believing they already had enough training for the day, had family-related things to do or…Shikamaru mentally grimaced at the last reason, for what they believe Naruto to be.

The moment that Shikamaru took up the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin, he was informed of an S-Rank secret that shook him to his core. Not with freight, but with the utmost anger that he ever felt in his entire life. Everyone expected Shikamaru to think logically, everyone's terms of thinking hugely vary, that he should hate, distaste or fear Naruto for what he is.

Shikamaru snorted, it seemed to him no one bothered to see the actually that directly faced them every day. Naruto is his brother, an idiot but his brother in all. Now…how to tell his brother something that he doesn't even know himself.

In all the same time, his question was finally answered. 'He's just like Gaara…'

"What do you guys want to learn this time?" Shikamaru yawned out loud.

"Clones."

"Tree walking."

"Water walking."

"Strategy."

"In order, Naruto sucks at making academy grade clones." "Oi!" "It's true. Besides Naruto, the rest of you should give it a while before starting that along with learning to walk on water….maybe."

"How come you taught Naruto how to do that?" Ino questioned.

"Unlike you three…." Shikamaru ignored Naruto's glare that was directed towards him as he continued to speak. "His chakra controls sucks, and traditional chakra control exercises were not working for him."

"Do you know the Idiot is like that?" Sasuke asked pointing over at Naruto.

"Yes. He has massive chakra reserves." Shikamaru said with a shrug. "The higher your reserves the harder it is to control it. It's reversed with someone with smaller reserves, they have better chakra control. "Which is why he can't really do many of the jutsu's the academy has a part in its curriculum."

"Shikamaru, I think big brother has a message for you." Sasuke said pointing over Shikamaru's shoulder.

Shikamaru tense, but not enough for the other to even take note of it. Truth be told, a crow came swooping down and dropped a note on top of Shikamaru's head. Shikamaru swore that he crow was laughing at him as it flew off. Grumbling, Shikamaru took the note off his head and began to read it.

Taking in a single deep breath in, Shikamaru stuffed the note in the inside of his jackets' sleeve. Releasing that single breath out, Shikamaru faced his brother and friends. "Forget what I said earlier, I'll teach you guys how to make clones."

"What about me?" Naruto asked pointing at himself.

"You are going to continue on practicing with your control." Shikamaru stated bluntly, he took out a kunai and threw it out towards a tree. "Go practice. If you have just enough control over your chakra…I might teach you more advanced clone jutsu."

Shikamaru didn't need to say anymore, Naruto already ran off to start his training.

As Shikamaru spoke to the others about the basics of clones, the up, and downs of them, his mind was elsewhere. To be more precise, the note that Itachi sent him. 'What a drag…This was what I was afraid it would happen.'

-.-

Itachi silently strapped a katana to his uniform, his movements precise and methodical. It did not once show how his heart his beating a thousand miles a second, mind reeling and resisting the urge to vomit. The final orders came in after a final revelation, there is no stopping the coup d'état.

"Are you ready Itachi?"

Itachi turned around to see his teammates looking at him with blank expressions. The Uchiha smiled internally, he could see past their facades. They were honestly worried for him, as the three of them are about to do something that is considered highly despicable to many. With their help, they are going to ensure the safety of the Will of Fire, by destroying those who oppose it…at all cost.

"You might want to hurry, we need to meet up with Raido-sensei later for our alibi for later."

If the situation was not how it was, Itachi would have actually laughed. It was rather typical of them to use their teacher for alibi's, as the man would always take their side no matter what.

To be continued…

R/R.


	26. Chapter 26

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Bloody tears ran down Itachi's cheeks, his bloodline fully activated. He gritted his teeth as he slashed an enemies body in half in blinding speed. Once all current threats were gone, Itachi allowed himself to collapse down to his knees. 'This was not part of the plan…'

The bodies that laid around Itachi were bodies of not only of his clansmen but also of Root nin.

A sharp scream caught Itachi's attention, the Uchiha didn't hesitate as he quickly stood up and ran off towards the direction of the scream. 'Curse you Danzo. I am going to have your head for this!'

-.-

Kabuto and Shisui fought back to back against their former _comrades_. If said Root nin actually had some emotion left in them, they would have looked at them with looks of shock and betrayal.

After all, Kabuto and Shisui were Danzo's preferred Shinobi to do his bidding. It had appeared both teens used that 'trust' to betray their leader.

"I take it you didn't know this was going to happen?" Shisui joked grimly, he had medical bands wrapped around his head to cover his left eye.

"No, I did not." Kabuto said with a fixed smile, he grabbed hold of a Root nin head as he slashed its neck with his favorite weapon: a scalpel. "Go warn the Hokage. Danzo went rogue."

Shisui nodded and just like his namesake, he flickered away from the scene. The moment he left, Kabuto smile twisted. Kabuto began to smile sadistically as he slashed up Root nin after Root nin. As much as he hated blood, he truly loved the color red when he is in this state of mind.

'No one is taking my chance of being someone. No one.'

-.-

'What a drag.' Shikamaru thought to guide a small group of Uchiha's, mostly comprised of children, mothers, and elders (Who had no clue what their clansmen were planning), to safety. Most of their parents are fighting off the Root nin that Danzo sent in _believing _that all Uchiha should be executed except for a counted few. Said couple-few are young children Danzo intending on molding through his views of the Shinobi Arts and one of them just ended up being Itachi's younger brother. "Do not separate."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth as he replayed in his mind when and how exactly everything went to hell…

-.-

_Earlier..._

_The main plan was to only to arrest all of the Uchiha's that were dead set on over taking the village. Then, only then, if they offer resistance then…they are to be killed to ensure they do not pull the alarm to warn the others or the rest of the clan that has no clue what is happening behind the curtains. Including killing all witnesses if necessary..._

_The first part of the task, Itachi was to get Kabuto and Shikamaru into the Uchiha Clan compound. That part was easy, the harder part…Meeting up with the final member of the group to continue on with the task in hand. The problem…Shisui caught up with them missing an eye and frantically told them something that made their plans go up in smoke._

_Danzo had ordered, against the Hokage's orders, to slaughter the entire Uchiha clan. (Except for said chosen few.) Right then, high pitched childish screams filled the Uchiha Clan Compound. At that moment, Shikamaru rearranged the plans and they all ran separate ways to now protect instead of killing such ruthlessly._

-.-

Itachi ran off towards his family home fast as he could, mentally thanking Shikamaru convincing Naruto to keep Sasuke longer after school for training. Arriving at his home, a strong metallic smell hit his nose head-on. He didn't know whether to hope or fear whose blood it was. Hope that perhaps his parents fought off their attackers and perhaps said attackers dare he say it…killed his father. Fear, the fear that it could be his mother or that his father is still alive and Itachi has to finish his original mission. Even if the mission changed, it's main goal remained the same.

Running through his family home as panic began to pour threw Itachi's veins. Grunts, metal hitting metal and moans of pain filled the air, including a long monologue that had Itachi snarl under his breath. Itachi silently killed off any Root nin that he found along the way. It all lead him to his parent's bedroom. Taking in a deep breath, Itachi slammed the doors opened and what he saw truly made him see red. There was the man that started this mess hovering over his father who was now missing an eye.

-.-

Kabuto and Shisui momentarily stayed behind, Kabuto had to ensure Shisui didn't go into shock any time soon before they ran off. Unfortunately for many, they were too late to save them. They fought side by side silently only speaking to the survivors to run to warn the Hokage or to take a stand and protect their families. Many took the stand and fought on while a few took their children and ran.

Both teens just told them the truth to get them motivated to move, Danzo is killing off the clan. For what? For power.

-.-

Out of all of them, Shikamaru had the task of picking up any stragglers and guiding them to safety. All of them were running out of their homes as their loved ones ensured their safety as they ran. His hands tightened into fists, a lot of the kids were about his age if not younger.

Many of said stragglers barely hesitated about following him, after all, Shikamaru's is Itachi's trusted teammate and highly known around the village.

Unfortunately for Shikamaru, another variable entered the equation. Said variable is Sasuke Uchiha. Fortunately for Shikamaru, one of the older woman ended up being Sasuke's and Itachi's great aunt, took Sasuke along and hushed them before he could say a word that could give away their location.

Sasuke looked frantic, his hands were covered in blood and blubbering out random words no ability to put together a sentence. He looked over at Shikamaru, his auntie and his clansmen for some sort of answer to this nightmare. "They killed them…"

Shikamaru bit the inside of his cheek as he glanced around the street and nodded to himself sensing that they were temporarily safe. "Who?"

Sasuke couldn't say anything else as he buried his face in his aunt's skirts and began to cry hysterically. His aunt attempted to calm him down afraid they would attract the enemy attention and that's what it did…

-.-

With that, we are back to the present…sort of…

-.-

"_We will always be…proud of you Itachi. Take care of your brother…" _

Itachi tightly gripped a tanto he took from a random Root nin and slashed his way through their forces to get to his main target. Danzo Shimura.

The moment he had entered his parent's room, his mother was already dead and her eyes were plucked out. He hand managed to get there in time to save his father from a similar fate. The young Uchiha couldn't help by snort at the irony of it all. He main task was to…kill his own parents and right in front of him there they were at death's' door.

Itachi's blood boiled at the sight before him. He began to attack holding nothing back, everything was clear to him, he saw all of his enemies openings and he exploited every second of it. When he came to his main target, said target ran off with two of his goons at his heels and more Root nin flooded his family home. There were no prisoners…When he was done with them, Itachi ran towards his father in hopes he is aright.

What Fugaku said to his eldest son shocked Itachi to the care but at the same time if lifted such a huge weight on his shoulders. His father knew what Itachi was going to do that night and he was proud of his son for taking such actions. His only regret…That Danzo did what he did. His last words will always be engraved in Itachi's mind.

"Just how many are there." Itachi muttered to himself, he was beginning to feel signs of chakra exhaustion. He was surrounded and nowhere close to his target. 'I cannot keep up with this any longer.'

Right when things started to look bleak, the shadows that the moon cast started to shift around encasing the enemies by their necks. Itachi inwardly sighed, someone had managed to get help.

-.-

Kabuto leaned against a wall one hand on his stomach and the other on his shoulder, both of them softly glowing signifying he was healing himself. With heavy breaths, he looked up to see Raido-sensei and the rest of the Hokage's protection finishing the rest of the enemy nin. He managed to make eye contact with Raido who only gave him a look of total concern.

Kabuto looked down at his lap, wondering if he could even repent for the things he had ever done to receive such care.

-.-

Shikamaru and all of the people he managed to protect out of the compound were now being heavily escorted by a group of Anbu for temporary safety. The leader of said anbu seemed to be a silver-haired nin with spiky silver hair wearing a dog mask. It didn't take long for Shikamaru to figure out who it was, Kakashi Hatake. The guy he and Naruto always caught in photographs reading out of a little orange book.

"What happened?" Kakashi ordered Shikamaru pulling him away from the others.

Shikamaru yanked his arm out of Kakashi's grasp. "Geez, with that tone I bet you sure get a lot of dates."

The Anbu glowered at Shikamaru which resulted in Shikamaru yawning at him. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Shikamaru yawned again.

"Don't play wi-"

"Just because I'm nine it doesn't mean you have to treat me as such, hypocrite." Shikamaru drawled out sarcastically. This only made the Anbu even more annoyed with him. "Jezz, fine I'll tell ya…."

-.-

"We were planning on pranking a couple of the elders of the clan." Kabuto explained to Raido as the said man helped him walk forward. "Itachi was getting stressed because they were pressuring him too much, Shikamaru and I thought of a plan in hopes to liven up Itachi's sprites a bit."

"Is that why you asked me to meet with you guys later for a late dinner? For an alibi?" Raido asked with a deadpan expression. If the situation wasn't as grave as it is, he would have actually cried at the fact at how his students were only using him.

"Yes." Kabuto chuckled weakly. "As you can see…It didn't end up as we planned."

"You don't say."

.

"When we arrived here at the compound Shisui found us and told us how he just escaped Danzo's henchmen clutches to warn us that the…_bastard _had ordered his men to exterminate my family…" Itachi gritted out rubbing the back of his hands over his face in an attempt to wipe away the bloody tears that continued to fall. "We didn't think we reacted. I ran home to see the bastard pull out my father's eye out and my mother died with no eyes. The bastard took their eyes! He took them!"

Shikaku glanced over to see several Anbu standing around waiting for an order from him. The Nara Head signaled for them to leave them. The Anbu quickly disappeared from sight.

In that instant, Itachi's regained some composure to quietly whisper to Shikaku. "Father and Mother expected it to happen by my hand not his…I couldn't even give them this. They could have…"

Itachi stopped talking when he felt a hand on top of his head. He glanced up to see Shikaku staring up at the moon, in turn, he did so.

"I should have thought of this." Shikaku berated himself.

Itachi frowned instantly. "No, it's not your fault!"

"Then it's not yours either." Shikaku responded back. "You and your team saved lives today even if it does not look like it. The outcome could have fare graver."

"My brother, I have to look for my brother!" Itachi heaved out as he attempted to get up, remembering how his brother, as far as he knew, was still out training.

Shikaku placed both hands on top of Itachi's shoulders. "And that is why I am here…"

Shear dread-filled Itachi's expression already thinking the worst. "Is he okay?"

"Naruto came home early after he and Sasuke spar which resulted with your brother getting minor burns." Shikaku let out a sigh as he explained. "They agreed to stop training for Sasuke to run back…"

"To have our mother bandage him up." Itachi felt nausea course through him. "Is he…?"

"Your brother saw a couple of _things_ before Shikamaru found him." Shikaku said rubbing the back of his head as he continued his story. "When Naruto came back home early not even a second later Anbu were knocking on the door and I came running over here."

"Sasuke okay then?" Itachi asked, he mentally begged for his brother to be okay.

"Physically yes. Mentally…not so much."

-.-

"My mother…"

"My father…"

"Brother…"

"Sister…"

"Daughter…"

"Son…"

"Grandmother…"

"Grandfather…"

"They killed them!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi read the reports that came from T&I, reports off all the testimonies of the remaining Uchiha and Team Raido account of what had happened that night.

He picked up a list of all the deceased, scanning through them and comparing it from a list Itachi gave him previously. Hiruzen let out a tired sigh, as much as he hated saying it. The mission was a success yet a total failure. The main target are dead, but how it was done made his blood boil. "Danzo… what have you done this time…"

"Sir." An Anbu wearing a Dog mask appeared before Hiruzen.

"What news do you bring, Dog?"

"We have located Root headquarters…" Cat hesitated momentarily not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. "It's was all cleared out and destroyed. We have several units right now clearing through the rubble."

'Of course.' Hiruzen thought darkly, he pulled out another paper from his desk and briskly signed it. 'Danzo Shimura is now declared as a missing-nin….Now let's see if you can get out of this one…an old friend.'

-.-

The next day the news of one of the village's elders and now former advisor of the Hokage turned rogue and attacked the Uchiha Clan. Killing as many as they could, fortunately, they were halted by Team Raido and Shisui Uchiha. The latter of which set the alarm what was going on which resulted in Danzo retreating along with his Root nin. To the public, the main reason he did what he did was to gain more power by taking the eyes of the fallen Uchiha.

Many were absolutely outraged, even the Hyuga who see the Uchiha as rivals. To have such thing to happen to those whose bloodline that revolves around their eyes is outrages. Everyone wants the old Mummy man head on a pike and it was safe to say that… everyone could have ended far worse…

-.-

"Hm…This is unexpected." A figure mused as he watched from a tall mountain down at Konoha. The man was wearing an orange mask with a single opening to reveal his right eye. "Not what I wanted to happen but…it'll have to do."

To be continued…

R/R


	27. Chapter 27

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. RyouYuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki. She won the OC contest a long while back.

-.-

_Note_: Three years have passed since the last scent of the last chapter. The time is off from cannon but is on purpose.

-.-

Ages:

Itachi: 17

Kabuto: 19

Shikamaru + Rookie Nine: 12

-.-

"I could only do so much with what I have here, Itachi-kun." Kabuto murmured just loud enough for Itachi to hear. Silently packed his medical pack not paying any mind to his current patient and former teammate. Kabuto is wearing a standard medic corps uniform, a standard high collared coat with the Konoha Medic Corps- sign on the left side of his chest. He had a cream-colored bandana over him kept his bangs back and tied on to his ponytail. Trademark black-rimmed circular glasses resting on his nose, which glint against the light as Kabuto moved.

Itachi silently glanced out of the window to see his brother sitting by the pond looking at nothing in particular. He is wearing a dark blue kimono, which he tightly gripped the fabric over his chest, and white pants. "It's alright, Kabuto."

Kabuto slammed the palms of his hands against the tatami mats, alarming Itachi only momentarily. It seemed that the naturally gray-haired Shinobi been doing that more and more as of late. "It's not alright. Nothing is alright with you don't you get it? You are refusing the full treatment to what you have…Which by the way, I still have no clue what it is…"

Kabuto ran his hands through his now disheveled hair in despair. He looked over at Itachi to see him still looking out the window. "Itachi-kun…"

"I…" Itachi looked away from the window. He looked tired, not physically but emotionally. "I do not want anyone to find out just yet."

"Your brother is going to find you dead in your bed if this continue." Kabuto started shaking his head wondering just what is going through Itachi's mind. He closed his pack and set it aside. "He is still traumatized about what happened three years ag-"

"And that is why I do not want anyone to find out yet." Itachi cut him off, he stood up and headed out of his room, which used to be his parent's former bedroom. Kabuto followed suit carrying his pack. "I'm worried how his reaction would be if he found out."

"If you do not get yourself to the hospital for a full diagnose any time soon, his reaction is only going to get worse." Kabuto countered. "Even if I am one of the leading medical-nin there, what you have has me baffled and that is because you refuse to allow me to see what you have. The only person that has any chances of knowing what you have and get you treatment is Lady Tsunade."

"What makes you say that?" Itachi quirked an eyebrow back at Kabuto.

"From what I've heard, she has a nasty temper towards her more…disobedient patients." Kabuto smiled rather cynically.

"Fortunately for me, she hasn't been back to Konoha since the nine-tailed fox attacked the village." Itachi remarked, shooting Kabuto a dirty look.

Kabuto only chuckled, he decided to drop the subject sensing Itachi's younger brother heading towards them. "Any news about Shikamaru-kun?"

Taking Kabuto's lead, Itachi followed suit. "He is rather miffed that his mentor Asuma Sarutobi is back here in the village while he is still stuck at the fire temple."

"I thought Shikamaru would return from the Twelve Guardian Ninja?" Sasuke asked, popping up next to his brother. The younger Uchiha spiky hair hung loosely down nearly touching his shoulders, he's been refusing to get his hair cut as of late. Sasuke is wearing a black high collared shirt, one sleeve then the other, dark blue shorts and bandages covering any visible skin from the neck down.

Itachi smiled fondly at his brother. "The Daimyo needed something to be done that required his help."

Sasuke's face scrunched up as he thought about that. "Naruto going disappointed."

Without another word, Sasuke walked ahead of them and disappeared through the door that leads to the kitchen.

"How is he?" Kabuto asked Itachi, in a low whisper.

"He still has nightmares but they seem to lessen when Sasuke spends time with his friends." Itachi murmured just as quietly. "Which has happened more often."

Kabuto stared at the door that Sasuke had walked through with a thoughtful look. "If he keeps this up then I will lower the dosage for his medication or stop altogether… If he is taking it as prescribe that is."

"He is." Itachi responded tersely. "Sasuke may not show it but he has approved much."

"I'm not saying he's not, I just don't want the kid to get a psychotic break anytime soon." Kabuto said waving his hands in front of him defensively. "Now if you don't mind, I have to check on the rest of the Uchiha Clan."

Itachi nodded at Kabuto. "If you happen to see Shisui tell him to report to me as soon as possible. No detours."

Kabuto nodded, he chuckled at his words. "We'll see about that."

-.-

Naruto Uzumaki trekked through an empty back alley, hands in his pockets and kicking at whatever crossed his path. His blonde hair has reached near his shoulders, appearing unkempt as it is pulled back in a low ponytail and bangs that partially framed his face. He is wearing a light orange shirt with short sleeves that has red, orange and black swirls with the Nara symbol sewn on his left sleeve, a long-sleeved green lined mesh shirt, a pair of vermilion colored pants and a cropped deer leather vest. Along with a pair of silver huggie hoop earrings and dark blue shinobi sandals.

"He promised he would have made it to the graduation." Naruto grunted he kicked a rock in frustration. Said rock hit the side of the fence and flew right back towards him, hitting the blonde smack dab on his chin. Letting out a loud oomph, the Uzumaki groaned holding his chin in pain. "Stupid Shikamaru."

Shaking his head, Naruto continued on his way to who knows where all the while rubbing his chin trying to soothe the pain away. Today was just like any other day, Okasan nagging him to get up to tend to the deer, Otosan was out on a mission leaving Naruto to tend to the herd. It was early and on a day off from the academy, just another typical day. After tending the deer, Naruto headed back to his home, ate breakfast, finished some homework with the help of the Nara matriarch and right before he headed to the forest that surrounded his home, there was a knock on the door.

Answering the door to see a messenger nin holding a letter with a familiar scrawl. It was a letter from the renowned Nara prodigy, Konoha's Dark Cloud, Shikamaru Nara. Ripping the letter open, Naruto scanned through the letter with a grin. Said grin fell, without a single word Naruto stuffed the letter into his adoptive mother's hands.

It was short and straight to the point.

'_Sorry, I'm not coming back anytime soon.'_

"He promised he would be back this week." Naruto let out a soft sigh thinking about his brother in everything but blood. It has been little over two years since Shikamaru joined a highly ranking group that's sworn to protect the Daimyo. Only a few months later, Shikamaru joined the Twelve Guardian Ninja. During that whole time, the Nara hardly returned home. He only sent letters and the occasion a visit that only lasted an hour at most.

That was just the start of it, Shikamaru…changed. He became recluse, hardly spoke to anyone besides his former team and their Otosan. Throwing himself into training and taking missions more often. In the end, it resulted in with the Daimyo taking note of Shikamaru's progress and gave the Dark Cloud an offer which he took with little to no hesitance.

This all started after the Uchiha Killings. Naruto knew little about what had happened, all he is that a rogue group began to annihilate the clan, if rumors were true then they took their eyes and fortunately they were unable to kidnap any of them. It was Team Raido and Itachi's cousin, Shisui Uchiha, were there to put a stop to it. Not once has Shikamaru ever told Naruto what happened that night. Since then, there was a look in his eyes that never went away…

It wasn't until Naruto spoke to Sasuke is when he fully knew the details of that night. Even if the heroes save the clan, it still wasn't enough. Everything yet nothing is ever enough. At least as time went by, Sasuke sort of went back to normal…but acted more like a teme. Perfectly normal for Naruto and their friends.

As much as Naruto wanted to stay mad at Shikamaru, he couldn't. The only thing that made him felt let down is that fact that Shikamaru had promised he would make it to his graduation. Unlike any previous test Naruto took, this time around he knew…He just knew that headband is his this time. After all, this time he didn't have a teacher that hated him for who knows what reason. Well, one of them. The other still has Naruto question how the heck he even made it as a teacher.

"You could have at least told me face to face instead of through a letter." Naruto sighed stretching his neck in an attempt to loosen up. Without another word, Naruto headed out somewhere he could watch the clouds in some sort of peace.

-.-

"I hate politics."

"I know, you've complained about it for years now."

"Well….I hate politics."

Shikaku Nara couldn't help but chuckle, leaning against a tall pillar that was hidden away in a vast garden. Laying on the grass near him is his son, who was glaring up at the cloud-filled sky. Shikamaru Nara laid on the deep green grass, arms spread out tugging on the grass absentmindedly. His hair is partly tied up in a half ponytail with random strands that fell randomly on his face, he is wearing a jacket that is similar to the one he always wore when he was younger now though it is dark gray with gray edges, the sleeves end just below his elbows and now had a hood. Underneath the jacket, he is wearing a tight dark green long sleeve shirt, black pants and a pair of dark green sandals. He has a white sash with the kanji of fire marked on it tied around his waist that is partially hidden under his shirt and jacket. A pair of black gloves laid on top of his chest neatly placed.

"-would have been back home by now, but the Daimyo just had to have issues with neighboring lands." Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the political issues that always seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Even if he understood the reason he was always get called to help with the Daimyo with these sort of issues, Shikamaru could not get why the heck the old guy would always drag him into it. Politics is one of the few things he prefers not to get involved in with, not after what happened three years ago.

Of course, being part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Shikamaru has to answer the call of the Daimyo. The only kick Shikamaru gets out of it is making everyone in the room feel like idiots without getting in trouble.

"How long do you believe you we'll be stuck here?" Shikaku asked down at his son.

"Another week or so." Shikamaru brows furrowed thinking over the previous meetings.

"A ryo for your thoughts?"

"You were at that meeting, you tell me?" Shikamaru remarked tiredly, he lifted his head to directly look at his father.

"A land changed its name, it is creating a Shinobi Village within its borders and the Daimyo is extremely power-hungry." Shikaku deadpanned. He scratched his chin absentmindedly as he thought over the previous meetings he attended. The Nara's head came here with similar reasons as his son, only his were reasons are quite different. Even till this day, Shikamaru still has no clue how his father is able to get things done so easily when there are so many difficulties in the way. If only Shikamaru knew what is his father's secret so that he could use it. "The man is gullible when it comes to the prospect of power. Which brings up with an issue as his land is a peaceful land but with how things are going…it may change very soon."

Silence slowly filled the area around them. The only sound that reverberated around them is the soft wind swishing around the garden giving off a peaceful sense of tranquility. Only it was the opposite, the air around them is tense even if father and son do not seem as so.

Shikaku reached into his pouch and pulled out a small box. He flicked it over at his son and it landed on Shikamaru's forehead which earned him a groan of annoyance. "I met up with Asuma, he forgot to give you this."

Grumbling, Shikamaru picked up the box and took note of its appearance. It is a wooden box with the Nara symbol etched on top of it, slowly Shikamaru flipped it open to show pair of silver knob earrings. The young Nara swore he felt something sting at the back of his eyes.

A tradition that's been passed down through the Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi and Sarutobi clans. A Sarutobi gives a pair of silver earrings to members of the Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi clans once said members were promoted to Chunin. Since Shikamaru was promoted to Chunin and didn't know personally anyone from the Sarutobi clan during that time, he actually felt left out because of it. Due to his nature, he shrugged it off and not bother with it again. It didn't pop up again until joining the Twelve Guardian Ninja where Shikamaru met Asuma for the first time and the Sarutobi took the Nara under his wing for the first year there. Shikamaru guesses that Asuma followed the tradition and took on the tradition.

Sitting up, Shikamaru eyes didn't move away from the little box. He didn't even saw his gloves had fallen on his lap. One by one, he took the earrings and put them on. Sitting there with a blank stare not moving an inch.

"Congrats." Shikaku said ruffling his son's hair.

Shikamaru only grunted in response, a small smile crept on his lips.

-.-

'Bored…'

'Bored…'

'Very bored…'

'Booored.'

Slam!

"Is there something you wanted to add to the conversation, Naruto?" Mizuki asked far too nicely glancing away from the chalkboard. His right hand still on the chalkboard as he was writing on it before an interruption came to be by a loud bang.

Silence.

Near the upper corner desk of the classroom sitting in between of Choji Akimichi and Sasuke Uchiha, the latter of which elbowed Naruto Uzumaki awake. Naruto woke up with a start with resulted with him jumping out of his chair in alarm. "What was that for! I was having the greatest dream ever!"

Everyone stared at Naruto trying to figure out if they should laugh or shake his head at him. This wouldn't be the first time he slept through one of Mizuki-sensei's lecture.

"Was it the ramen dream again?" Choji asked in-between bites of eating his potato chips. He got his answer when Naruto nodded slowly as a single tear slowly dripped down his cheek.

"Didn't your mom ban you from eating ramen for that prank you did last week?" Sasuke asked him quietly. His response is Naruto slamming his face against the desk weeping. The Uchiha elbowed the Uzumaki again. "You have to respond or he'll tell on you again."

Grumbling, Naruto looked over at Mizuki with a questioning look. "What were you saying?"

Mizuki gritted his teeth behind his strained grin. "What could you add about…"

He didn't get too far as Naruto slammed his head against his head and light snores were his only response. Now everyone laughed at the clear disrespect Naruto showed for the teacher, it was no secret Naruto hated him and the feelings were obviously neutral.

"Naruto…" Mizuki strained out feeling his patience running thin.

"The emergency protocol that the village has if it is ever under attack it to one…" Naruto lifted his head enough to stare at Mizuki. "Eliminate the enemy units. If phase one is not practical, then phase two is to evacuate every civilian to the nearest shelter hidden throughout the village. Phase three…use all of the forces in the village to eliminate the enemy with full force using home-field advantage against them. I am paying attention…you just have the most boring voice ever."

Snap.

Mizuki snapped the piece of chalk he had in his grasp, a tense smile grew on his expression. Before he could do or say anything, the door opened and Iruka walked in looking through a pile of papers in hand.

The teacher took note of the silence in his class, he glanced around to see what or who exactly is the cause of it. All he saw is Naruto staring at Mizuki while said teacher is glaring at the blonde.

Iruka only shook his head as he wondered just what Mizuki has against Naruto, although he has an inkling the reason behind it… His only hopes that said inkling is false. "Sorry I am late…Thanks again for taking over for me, Mizuki."

"It's nothing." Mizuki replied, he placed the broken pieces of chalk down and headed towards the door. "If you would excuse me…"

With that Mizuki left the class without another word. When the door closed behind him, Iruka turned around to face his class. "Do I even want to know what happened?"

The class all shook their heads or remained silent as their response to his question.

"Good…I didn't want to know either." Iruka muttered under his breath. He placed the pile of papers on his desk and turned back to face his class. "As many as you already know…this week is graduation. For the next week, all of you will be taking several exams to see if you have what it takes to have," Iruka pointed at his headband, "And join the ranks of being a Leaf Shinobi…"

One by one, students listened with determination flared in their eyes. The exams are the make or break it time. This was especially true for one future kunoichi who amber eyes burned determination. The girl shoulder-length dark blue-tinted hair is pulled back with yellow clips, she is wearing a long-sleeved mesh shirt underneath a sleeveless black hoodie, dark blue baggy pants tied with bandages that are tucked into her black sandals. The news of being so close to her goal made the fire within her soul burn.

"Now…We are going to take the written part of the test." Iruka called out pointing at the pile of papers. "I expect every one of you to do your best…Naruto…"

The bluenette glanced over at the blonde with narrowed eyes. Even if she has nothing against the Uzumaki, it just irks her how he does not take anything seriously. From what she heard, he failed the exams three times already for who knows why. However, that contradicts from what she saw in the last three years she's been in the same class as Naruto. He answered all questions, albeit with a sarcastically and in a dismissive tone, would get in trouble by the teachers for doing nothing and his grades are…average. Just average.

"Akira-san…"

The bluenette felt a tap on her shoulder, Akira, looked away from Naruto to see Shino Aburame handing her a paper, the exam. She didn't say anything as she took the paper. Shino did not mention or say anything about her actions, he simply put his focus on his own exam.

-.-

'Iruka-sensei created a different test for everyone depending on their abilities.' Naruto thought amused going through question after question and take a quick glance at the other exams. They were all different according to their intelligence. This would be one of those times he regrets having extra lessons with Iruka-sensei, as the teacher knows Naruto's true potential. Meaning, he gets a harder test.

With a groan, Naruto began to answer question after question. The last thing he needed is giving those idiots that call them teachers a reason to fail him…

To be continued...

R/R.


	28. Chapter 28

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki. She won the OC contest a long while back.

-.-

"Come on Choji! We are almost there!"

"Just go on without me…" Choji heavily panted, lying face down on a pile of leaves.

Sasuke stared at his friends, blankly wondering why he decided to stick around and not go up and finish the race. As he wanted to avoid the couple of fangirls that he regrettably gained. Alas, he and Naruto promised Choji that they would run the race together.

With a sigh, Sasuke took out a small bag of chips and slowly opened them. He hid an obvious smirk when he saw Choji twitch. Choji lifted his head to glare at Sasuke. The Uchiha paled at the predatorily stare the Akimichi is giving him and uneasily said, "Choji…"

Naruto, who was out of Choji's eyesight, signaled for Sasuke to run. Sasuke quickly took the signal to heart and ran…with Choji right at his heels. The blonde swore he just heard Sasuke scream. He didn't take note of the rest of his classmates running pass him. Many of whom starting giving Naruto looks of confusion as he began to continue the race. What they didn't know is that his mind went somewhere else.

The moment Naruto took a step forward to follow his fellow classmates, he blinked and found himself somewhere else…

-.-

A dry brightly lit sewer with brightly shiny pipes that seemed like new, steam would occasionally sprout out from randomly placed nozzles here and there. There was a sense of calm spread out through the area. A closer look one would say that there are cracks running along the pipes that would slowly shrink and grow at random times.

Naruto muttered under his breath as he walked along the long twisting and turning sewer path. He had lost count how many times he ended up here. No matter how many times he came here, Naruto never once made it to the end. What got on his nerves is that whenever he would end up here while doing something and suddenly end up here, once he regains consciousness everything he was doing is done. Naruto would not have a single recollection of it. Just a blank.

Trying to think back on it, it all started when Naruto finally took to heart about cloud watching.

-.-

"Are you positive this is the right choice, Inoichi…Shikaku?" Hiruzen asked wearily, he looked at Shikaku, who was leaning against the window by his left staring intently out into the village, and Inoichi sat across of him with a couple of files in hand.

"Naruto has been having blank spots in his memory," Inoichi said, closing the files he had in hand. "Naruto had explained it to me that when this happens, he ends up in an endless sewer. Which he describes as calm but there is a huge sense of dread that fills the area. A calm before the storm."

Silence. The silence was the only reply that the Hokage gave.

"When Naruto is in that state…his entire persona will shift, albeit unnoticeable towards many. Only those that know him have taken note when this happen." Shikaku explained, his voice showed just a tinge of worry. When he first saw this happen to Naruto, it occurred when they were playing a game of shogi. One moment he was brash and uncontrolled then it changed. Naruto became calm and dare he say…calculating. Right when Shikaku was about to say something, Naruto came back.

"As you already know, I have been monitoring Naruto's mental progress for the last couple of years." Inoichi took in a deep breath as he went over what exactly he found over the last couple of yeas of observing Naruto's mindscape. For a better understanding, everyone has their own mindscape. A little world inside one's mind. It is shaped how that person senses the world around them. When Inoichi first scanned Naruto's mind, it made him wonder just how the boy could hide so much sorrow behind his smile. A sewer that is filled with knee-high water, broken pipes that constantly leaked and a constant sense of dread. As time went by, it changed. It is only in recent time that there was a shift.

"The Kyubi is calling out to Naruto and the kid is dragging his feet every single step he takes." Inoichi said he rubbed his forehead trying to ease back the last memory of him entering Naruto mind while the kid was in one of his trances.

"Do either of you believe it has to do with the seal?" Hiruzen asked the feeling of dread swept over him at the prospect of that being true.

"No." Shikaku shook his head and begrudgingly said. "That perverted student of yours checked out the seal two weeks ago and found nothing wrong with it."

Hiruzen and Inoichi (Including the Anbu that are hidden in the room) sweatdropped. It was known through the inner circles that Shikaku 'hates' the Toad Sage. Well… it was more like the Nara Head is severely annoyed than actual hate. Rumor has it that it has it's because Jiraiya hit on Yoshino, which resulted in a surge of jealousy. That was taken out as those who know Shikaku, knows that it would be too much of a drag to actually be jealous…and Jiraiya is terrified of Yoshino. For a good reason too. The main reason…it has to do with Naruto's welfare from years ago.

"Do you have any notion why this is happening to Naruto?"

"I have an idea of how this came to be, but I do not know how to stop it from continuing on."

-.-

Naruto blinked slowly as came back to the world around him. The sight he came to see first made him sweat drop in total dismay. The Uzumaki, Nara raised, saw Choji sitting on a passed out Sasuke while eating the same bag of chips said Uchiha had opened earlier to teach him. Ended up, he managed to finish the race and have no memory of it…like many other things.

"Why do these types of things happen when I blackout?" Naruto asked himself, he took out a small camera without anyone taking notice and took a photo or to before he hid it out of sight.

"A-are y-you alright, Naruto-Kun?"

Naruto looked over to see Hinata Hyuga standing nervously near him. She attempted to make eye contact with him but would quickly look away nervously.

Hinata Hyuga of the Hyuga clan, one of the many people that Naruto made friends with while at the Academy. Or before that, if memory serves right for the blonde. His weirdest friend of all. Naruto still has no clue why she blushes and stutters around him.

Naruto once asked his parents about Hinata's behavior, Okasan only smiled while Otosan chuckled to himself and asked him what he thought of her.

A weird, quiet and extremely shy girl. After asking them a couple of other questions, the end result is Naruto finding out he likes weird…It still confuses him to this day. The only females that do not confuse him, as much, is his Okasan. Even then, she still has Naruto scratching his head in complete confusion.

With a grin, Naruto swung his arm around Hinata shoulders. "I'm alright, Hinata-chan. Just thinking about where I should go out to eat after this."

"Ano… Is Sasuke-san alright?" Hinata asked, her cheeks engulfed into a heavy blush. She pointed over at Sasuke and Choji, the Uchiha seemed to be regaining some consciousness right after a couple of fangirls started to squeal and scream. Said fangirls surrounded Sasuke and Choji, screeching at the Akimichi to get off their Sasuke-Kun as he was squishing him with his…er…fat. Fortunately for them, Choji ignored them for the most part as he primarily focused on the bag of chips.

"Did Sasuke tempt Choji with a bag of chips again?" Ino called out jogging over to Naruto and Hinata. She had previously finished the curse before any of them and was out picking flowers judging by the flower crown on her head.

"Yeah." Naruto confirmed, he unconsciously tighten his hold on Hinata's shoulders. The poor girl looked like she is about to faint. "We promised Choji we would finish the race together but he lost his energy earlier on."

"To get him to continue…" Ino pointed at Choji and Sasuke, the latter of which is now openly glaring at the former.

"I'll give you the photos once I am done printing them." Naruto grinned, mischief clearly written in his eyes.

Ino only laughed in response which slowly turned into a grimace. "Make sure you do that…I still owe him for what he did last year."

"In my defense, we were surrounded by his fangirls. We had to figure a way out of there." Naruto defended himself.

Ino gave him an unsavory look. "Sasuke transformed into me and you turned into Naruko-"

Plop!

Naruto and Ino looked at each other for a moment before they looked down to see that Hinata had passed out on the ground.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled out in worry and quickly checked on Hinata. "Iruka-sensei! Hinata-chan is sick again!"

Ino facepalmed at the scene before her. "One moment you are ahead of us, and then this happens!"

"What's wrong with her?" Naruto asked, holding Hinata in his arms.

"Figure it out." Ino huffed out walking away from the scene.

-.-

"Tomorrow is the last day of the exams." Choji said as he, Sasuke, and Naruto walked down one of the main roads in the village.

"What happened to Ino and Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked through a loud yawn.

"The girls had to take another test remember?" Sasuke deadpanned. "Ino told us this before we left."

"He was distracted." Choji said, taking out a bag of chips. "He made Hinata faint again…"

"Why am I not surprise…" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Naruto only rolled his eyes at them, but he didn't say anything else on the topic. He already got enough of an earful from Ino. "Where do you guys want to go to eat?"

"BBQ." Choji and Sasuke responded at the same time.

"What no ramen?"

"Unlike you, we want some variety in our diet." Sasuke said, jabbing Naruto in the ribs with his elbow.

"Choji, help me out here!" Naruto whined, waving his hands frantically in the air. "It's ramen! The food of the heavens!"

"I prefer BBQ." Choji said through a mouthful of BBQ flavored chips. "Plus, you're grounded remember."

Naruto shot Choji a look which went ignored.

"As long it is not anything sweet, I'm okay with it." Sasuke sighed, dropping his head forward when Choji and Naruto shot him a look. Despite the fact, he is close friends with both of them and they know of his dislike towards sweets in general. They still won't let him live it down.

"Or just plain tomatoes." Naruto said under his breath, which once again prompted Sasuke to jab his ribs again. "Why are we friends again?"

Sasuke paused momentarily thinking over that question. "I honestly have no clue."

"How did we become friends?" Choji asked, lowering his bag of chips deep in thought. "We don't…seem like we should have become friends."

Choji, Sasuke, and Naruto stopped walking and stood there deep in thought about that. One by one, their stomachs growled one louder after the other. "Food?"

"Food."

-.-

"I'm already dreading when we have to put this to use." Ino sighed tiredly, walking out of the academy with the rest of the female students of her class. All of the female students of their class had just finished a test that all Kunoichi's have to take. Which mostly comprised of knowing about other cultures, certain skills such as flower arranging and other things that made no sense to a lot of the girls in the class. Expect for a few…

"I h-hope so…" Hinata agreed quietly, her cheeks were lightly dusted pink. "At least, we got the test over with."

"You got that right." Ino snorted, she crossed her arms over her chest as she and Hinata stood outside of the academy. "Are you going to head home or…?"

Hinata nodded as she saw her primary caretaker, Ko, waiting for her. Ino saw Ko and gave older Hyuga a short wave, said Hyuga only raised an eyebrow before returning it. With Hinata around, Ko has been a semi-permanent fixture in the lives of Hinata's friends. Similar to what Shisui Uchiha is to them, only Ko is more serious and not prone to get them into trouble like the Uchiha.

"If you have time later, come by the shop," Ino called out to Hinata who quickly headed over towards Ko. Hinata took a quick look back to nod at Ino before turning back.

Ino quickly turned around to accidentally rammed headfirst into one her fellow classmate. The said classmate was running out of the academy completely unaware of her surroundings. Her mind elsewhere which caused both her and Ino to tumble to the ground.

"Ugh!" Both girls yelled out, landing on the ground in a heap.

"Ino-pig!"

"Dammit Forehead!"

One of the many spectators that watched this occur with a look of distaste. Akira Kurotsuki stuffed her hands into her pants pockets and headed off in her own way. The portion of the test that the females had to take made Akira scrunch up her nose. That part of being a ninja is something she wants nothing to do with. Akira main focus is to get into Anbu like her father.

"Hey, Akira!" Someone pounced on her and wrapping their arms around her.

Akira nearly tripped clearly surprised by the sudden weight. "What the heck!"

Looking over her shoulder, Akira could see that it was Ino who took her by surprise. "Yamanaka-san…Get off…"

"Aw, don't be like that." Ino said letting go of Akira. "You promised that we would hang out later. You, me, Sakura…"

Against her better judgment, Akira trudged forward all the while Ino hung on her and Sakura Haruno following them. The Pinkett would add in her own input or would argue with the blonde. The both of them made her wonder why they even wanted to be kunoichi…

"Not my fault I did better than you." Ino stuck her tongue out at Sakura who glared at her in response.

"I still did better than you in the written portion." Sakura shot back.

"You do realize once you are out in the field that won't count for anything…" Ino deadpanned. "That's what Shikamaru-Kun told us. Most of the stuff they taught us in the academy will get us killed in the field."

"There you go again." Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino, crossing her arms over her chest. "Talking about that guy."

"What? Can't take the fact there is someone else better than your Sasuke-_Kun_?"

-.-

Sasuke shivered for some unexplained reason accidentally smacking Naruto with a menu.

"Oi!" Naruto frowned, shooting Sasuke an evil look. "Watch it."

"Someone talking about you again?" Choji asked the Uchiha, his only response is another shudder.

"What did I do to get their attention?" Sasuke hissed under his breath.

"You should have listened to your brother and Shikamaru." Naruto pointed out, pointing at him with his menu. "They warned you but did you listen? No."

Sasuke folded his menu calmly and proceeded to smack Naruto with it. Not once saying a word. Before Naruto could retaliate, Choji stared at him. With a simple stare, Naruto and Sasuke quickly opened their respective menus and hid behind them. With a nod of satisfaction, Choji went back to looking back at his own menu.

They became friends by knowing someone who then knew said person. A small world where their paths just crossed earlier than anticipated that took them into a different route. A route that changed their views and helped them along.

"I heard about Shikamaru." Sasuke said, lowering his menu just for his eyes and the top of his head to show over it.

"What happened to him?" Choji asked worriedly.

Naruto hid deeper into the menu, his voice muffled. "He won't be back in time for graduation…lazy bastard."

Choji and Sasuke glanced at each other wondering what they should say or do to Naruto. Fortunately, better yet, unfortunately for them. Someone decided to drop by…

"Hiya boys! How's it going?" Shisui appeared sitting next to Choji. Scaring all three boys at his sudden appearance.

Sasuke glowered at his older brother's best friend. "What do you want now, Shisui?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with my baby cousin? Is that too much to ask?" Shisui pouted, taking a menu that a waitress just handed him.

"You really need to stop doing that," Naruto grumbled, snapping the menu shut.

"Ah, but it's so funny seen all of your reactions when I do that." Shisui pouted over his menu. "You guys have no sense of humor."

"We do…it's just not on your level." Naruto remarked.

"Compared to me, you are on a whole different level." Shisui pointed at Naruto with his menu. "Painting the Hokage Monument, sneaking into Anbu Headquarters…"

"Which you have no proof if I actually did," Naruto said in a sing-song voice.

"Yet." Shisui conceded. "But one day…one day I will have proof…On a whole different subject… What _do_ you guys feel on the last portion of the test tomorrow? I heard that your teacher rearranged the structure of the test to accommodate everyone."

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei had us do a different written test, a race and tomorrow we have to show a…what did we have to do tomorrow?" Choji looked over at his friends for some help.

"We have to show a high enough degree in genjutsu, taijutsu, or ninjutsu." Sasuke supplied. "Seeing as the original testing won't allow certain people to pass…I won't mention any names."

"Ye of little faith." Naruto rolled his eyes but couldn't help but agree.

Iruka-sensei, with the help of many of the current Clan Leaders, pushed forward a new regimen in the academy. The main purpose is to ensure to help the students that go through the academy are not only fully prepared to face whatever in the future but to ensure to highlight their strengths and to work on their weaknesses.

"I can't do a _simple_ E-rank jutsu and they deem me unfit to graduate." Naruto rolled his eyes remembering all past exams he took previously. "Even after I was able to do a B-rank jutsu with little to no problem."

"Why didn't you take a similar test as Lee took?" Choji said, clicking his chopsticks at him.

Naruto's face scrunched up. "Lee and I have different _problems_...If it wasn't for Shikamaru…"

An unwelcoming feeling of being pulled into his mind came over Naruto and suddenly found himself elsewhere.

-.-

"I am really getting tired of this." Naruto deadpanned trudging through an all too familiar sewer way. Without another thought about his situation, Naruto continued on forward seeing as he had nothing else to do at that point. "Might as well…"

To be continued…

R/R.


	29. Chapter 29

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki. She won the oc contest a long while back.

-.-

Naruto slowly walked through the village, the moonlight being his only light source. Once again going through his entire day with no memory of it. The last thing he remembered is setting at the BBQ restaurant with Choji and Sasuke, Shisui later appeared. He argued with the latter and then...back at that sewer.

"When will it end?" Naruto sighed, kicking at a small rock. Just hard enough to make sure it won't hit something and come back towards him in revenge.

"When will what end, Naruto-Kun?"

Naruto expression immediately soured when he recognized the voice. Looking over he saw Mizuki stepping away from the shadows with a placid smile. "Well?"

"It's nothing." Naruto replied in a bored tone. Inconspicuously, Naruto glanced around the area to see that it was only just him and the idiotic former teacher of his. His fight and flight senses were ringing inside his head. "Why are you out here so late? Don't you have papers to grade?"

Mizuki smile seemed to widen, he had his hands hidden behind his back away from Naruto's view. "Speaking of grades…There's something I need to discuss with you about your grades."

-.-

"Could you tell Shisui to stop bothering me and my friends?"

Itachi looked over a pile of paperwork placed on top of his desk to see his brother standing by the entrance of his office. He signaled for Sasuke to enter his office and the younger Uchiha entered the office. Sasuke sat on a wooden chair, his shoulders were tense and had on a troubled expression. Itachi expression momentarily, it had been a long since he had seen that expression on Sasuke.

"You know that I could hardly control him myself." Itachi sighed shaking his head in dismay. As much he looked up to Shisui, as a person and shinobi, the guy has been getting on everyone's nerves. If he wasn't out doing a mission, Shisui would disappear to who knows where Itachi suspects he found someone or off bothering someone. Namely Itachi, Kabuto, Shikamaru when he was in and even out of the village, Sasuke and his friends. "No one can really control him beside the Hokage."

Sasuke physically deflated at that. "He's annoying…

"I know Sasuke…I know." Itachi sighed just as dejectedly.

A comfortable silence fell over the two brothers. Itachi proceeded to continue his paperwork and Sasuke sat there watching his brother deep in thought.

"Itachi…Is everything okay with Shikamaru?" Sasuke asked quietly, staring at Itachi waiting for an answer.

Itachi paused, he looked over at his brother whose eyes seemed to show worry. Not at the actual question but at something else. "What made you ask me that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "His father is back but he isn't."

Itachi's brows furrowed, as far as he knew from what Shikamaru wrote to him previously. He and his father should have arrived together into Konoha. Even if Shikamaru was delayed due to his mission with the Daimyo, Itachi would have thought that since Shikaku is back it would mean the younger Nara should be back too. Either Shikamaru is being delayed once more or he is hiding…again.

It wouldn't be the first time. The times that Shikamaru had time to return to the village to visit, he would hide from everyone. Of course, he would go about on checking up on every one of them but the vast majority of the time he would not interact with them. As far as Itachi knew knowing Shikamaru, the moment that he put himself back into their lives, it would be very hard for him to just leave. Why disturb the peace while Shikamaru could watch it go on without it being disturb. This, though…

"I'm sure there is a good reason why he isn't here, little brother."

-.-

"He should be here by tomorrow noon." Shikaku said he lounged in his living room. Yoshino sat across of him with a basket of clothing which she was folding. "Shikamaru needed to go back to the Fire Temple before he would come back to the village."

"And you just let him go?" Yoshino huffed out, roughly folding a t-shirt and stuffing it back into the basket. "He won't make it back in time for Naruto's graduation."

"He'll make it back soon…hopefully," Shikaku said the last part more to himself than to his wife. It didn't help his case, though.

The sound of the front door opened and soft yet heavy steps walked into the home. The door closed softly and the new arrival grumbled under their breath as they took off their footwear. Shikaku and Yoshino already knew who it was and could feel how tense said the person was. It was Naruto finally getting home and immediately they both knew something was off.

Naruto quietly walked through the home, head down, hands in his pockets and an aura that did not scream his normal disposition.

"Naruto." Shikaku said catching Naruto's attention.

Naruto's head snapped up, his eyes wide in total surprise. Although he knew that his Okasan is at home, it surprised him to see her and Otosan in the living room. He guesses that he was truly lost in his thoughts to not have taken note of his surroundings. The Uzumaki saw his father sitting on the couch giving him a side-glance.

He's back…Could that mean…?

Shikaku shook his head answering the unasked question. "Something came up…again."

Naruto physically deflated at the news.

"But he will be back here by noon." Shikaku added in, turning away from Naruto. He already knew what Naruto's reaction would be.

"He's coming back…tomorrow? Permanently?"

"Shikamaru is still going out of the village for missions, but ye…" Yoshino cut herself off, narrowing her eyes at Naruto's reaction. She could tell he is very excited about Shikamaru's return, but his smile…did not quite reach his eyes. "What happened?"

Naruto froze, he forgot Okasan could read through his façade easily. Nervously, he began to laugh and scratch the back of his head. "Nothing…Shisui left us with his bill again. I swear he eats more than an Akimichi. He even out ate Choji."

Now both of his parents turned to look at him. They both regarded carefully, knowing that Naruto isn't exactly telling the whole truth. "…Er…Do you guys think I'll fail again?"

"What makes you say that?" Shikaku asked before his wife said anything.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and looked down not answering.

"I talked to your teacher, Iruka, you are on track on passing," Shikaku replied he scanned his eyes over Naruto. He read his body language, took in his words and his actions from the moment he stepped through the door. "Naruto…"

Naruto head quivered attempted to not lookup. He didn't want to show his face to him, but every time Otosan spoke in _that_ tone of voice... Looking up, Naruto made eye contact with the Nara Patriarch. There was a sort of silent communication that went through, mostly Shikaku convincing Naruto onto telling him what is going on.

The more they stared at each other, the atmosphere in the home changed around Naruto and he quickly recognized it. It was emitting from Shikaku, a sense of aloofness, predatory, total and complete sense of dread. It wasn't killing intent, this was far too different. This is the same sort of sense that Shikaku used to train him and Shikamaru. While the brothers hid in the Nara forest and their father had to hunt them down. It felt as if walking down a long hallway that slowly, almost unnoticeably, turning darker and darker. Getting harder to breathe every step you took and at the end of that hallway is a door that leads into a dark room. It felt as if whatever was inside that room…is your worst nightmare… Or death. Then what seemed like forever, it was over.

Shikaku blinked slowly, taking his sweet time doing so. He turned around and got comfortable once more on the couch. Leaning his head on the back of the couch, closing his eyes and spoke

"As long as you prove to yourself as a Shinobi of the Leaf, do whatever it takes." Shikaku said in a bored tone, he turned around and shot his wife a look for her to remain quiet. Which she did with thinning lips. "You already have something planned don't you?"

"Sort of…kind of….I think I do…" Naruto began to laugh nervously, shuffling away from his parent's sight. "I had a long day….NIGHT!"

Naruto quickly ran to his room without another word.

"Shikaku…" Yoshino growled under her breath at her husband, she threw a t-shirt when her husband didn't pay any attention towards her. The shirt landed over Shikaku's face and she swore that the man began to snore. "What the hell was that all about?"

"Nothing." Shikaku said the shirt moved along with him as he spoke. "Let him be. Naruto knows what he is doing."

Yoshino only shook her head continuing on with the folding. "I swear...if anything horrible happens to him…"

"I know, I know…" Shikaku lifted his head causing the shirt to fall off. "I just wanted to test out a hunch."

"That would be?"

"About what?"

Plop.

Another article of clothing was thrown at Shikaku.

-.-

Naruto slowly slid down his door, panting heavily as sweat dripped down his face. It has been a while since he felt such aura against him. The actual last time that his Otosan used it against him was over a year ago. It wasn't so much for the fact he wasn't used to it, it was for the fact he nearly spilled what exactly happened early. The last thing he needed is to drag his parents into something that could go wrong…If he didn't play his cards right.

Getting up from his spot, Naruto wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He looked around his room and paused for a moment taking it in. His room for what seemed for so long yet so little time. The bed was changed into a full-sized bed, green and red-shifted into the color scheme of orange and black pushed into the far left corner. A large light wooden desk covered with books, scrolls, random puzzles and different decks of cards. Towards his left is a bookshelf filled with stacks of paper, journals, along with blueprints he created of the village and towards his right is a low table with two giant fluffy pillows on either side of it. In the middle of the room is a circular carpet with the Nara symbol on it. Scattered around the room are his plants that added just enough color.

His room…Naruto's own room. Something he once considered to never have when he was younger. At the time, he would still jump on his bed and have the urge to say. "Mine."

Could that still hold true by tomorrow night, though?

Naruto only shook his head, he went to his bookshelf and looked through it with furrowed eyebrows. He held back a grin when he found a repeatedly folded paper that was the size of a small notebook and half an inch thick. Heading over towards his desk, Naruto plopped himself on a wooden chair and turned on a lamp. Flipping the paper over to examine it before he began to unfold it…repeatedly. Once he was done, the paper is now about half the size of his desk and draw on the paper is the blueprint of the Hokage tower. "How am I going to do this…?"

-.-

Nice bright morning, the bright blue sky filled with white fluffy clouds. Just any other day to many…as for the rest…

"You want me to do what! Itachi what the hell did I ever do to you? Are you trying to kill me?"

It was a day filled with utmost headaches…

Itachi stared at his best friend/cousin with disinterest as said person ranted and paced around his office. "Shisui…"

Shisui now started to fail his arms to show his displeasure. "I am not good with children! Not good! I will not put them through that torture!"

"Then why do you insist on annoying Sasuke and his friends to no end?" Itachi said plainly, he looked down at Shisui's folder. It contained his information that pertained to Shisui work as a shinobi for the Leaf.

"Because…you wanted me to keep an eye out on Sasuke?" Shisui coughed out uneasily, feeling the urge to run away.

"I indirectly had Naruto look after him and we both know that Kabuto been to kept a closer eye on him," Itachi stated, not even glancing up at Shisui. "What you did the past few years is all on your own accord…Is there another reason why you do not want to do this?"

When Shisui didn't respond, Itachi looked up to see him expressionless. This expression was something that Itachi only saw when Shisui was still in Root. It unnerved the current Uchiha Head how Shisui could still revert to that way of thinking, no emotions. "Is this because of…"

Itachi trailed off allowing his words to hang in the air when he saw Shisui expression gave way that was when he knew that a nerve was struck. "This will be beneficial for everyone involved…including you."

"I can't. I just cannot do this." Shisui allowed himself to plop on a giant pillow that was laid about in the room. "Every time I think or look at kids…_ their _faces pop into my mind. The ones we couldn't save from that, that, that… ASS!"

Itachi sat their silently as Shisui threw a total fit of rage. The old Uchiha had jumped up from the pillow he has just sat on and yell out everything that he kept inside of him. The majority of it, he already heard or read before, some of it though…left Itachi wondering just how much more Shisui had kept from him. From the time that Shisui was still in Root and under Danzo's thumb. If there was something that Shisui regretted was saving many other Root members that could have been saved.

"I could have stopped it you know…" Shisui now paced around the room, he kept looking around himself almost expecting something or someone to come out of anywhere. "If I had told Lord Hokage what that…_man_...did. Then a lot of this could have been prevented. He had us take the children from loving families you know, pluck them out of their bed…brainwash them…and return them no one being the wiser...He had us do this when their parents refused to allow them to enter the _program._"

"What is done is done, Shisui. You are going to do this or would you rather be tasked with being the Daimyo's wife demon cat personal guard?"

"…"

"Are you actually considering the second option?"

"I don't want to become a teacher but I don't want to be a cat personal guard… I am just weighing the good and the bad."

Itachi only shook his head wondering what exactly is going through Shisui's mind.

"Fine…I'll take a team." Shisui finally replied, plopping himself on the giant cushion once more. "Don't blame me if I mess them up. Do you need me to send the paperwork to the Hokage?"

"I already sent in the paperwork last month. Nothing else is needed to be done until tomorrow when the teams are announced."

"You were just going to send me off without even telling me what's going on?"

"Remember…tomorrow at noon."

-.-

"I am not going to ask you to do the standards Jutsu's that are normally required for graduation." Iruka announced to his class, placing a stack of paper on his desk. Standing on either side of him are Mizuki and one other instructor, Stinky-sensei as he is known to many. "What I am requiring of every single one of you is to show your set of skills in genjutsu, taijutsu or ninjutsu."

Naruto mood lightens up at the mention of how the test was going to take place. Unlike before, one had to a few 'easy' E-rank Jutsu's to complete the final exam. The only thing that could make this better if Mizuki and Stinky were not there. Then again for his plan to work, the former has to be here for his to work.

"I need you guys to do something for me?" Naruto whispered under his breath to Choji and Sasuke. They glanced over at Naruto to see that their friend had circles under his eyes and kept resisting the urge to yawn repeatedly. "It's a secret."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, he rested his chin on the back of his left hand. "Which will be?"

"I rather know what could possibly lead us into trouble?" Choji said pulling out a bag of BBQ flavored chips.

Naruto looked at his friends, moving his eyes side to side as he sat in the middle of them. Sasuke on his left and Choji on his right. "Just don't spread a word of this…Did Mizuki approach either of you for extra-credit?"

"No…" Choji replied uneasily.

"Why would you need extra credit?" Sasuke snorted at the notion when Naruto didn't elaborate his brows furrowed again. "Naruto…what does he want you to do?"

"He wants the boss to take something from the Old man's tower."

Sasuke and Choji blinked in unison taking note of how Naruto talked.

'Shadow clone?' Choji mouthed at Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded in confirmation. "What do you want us to do?"

"Stall, the boss didn't put a lot of chakra into me…so tired."

-.-

"Where am I?" Naruto muttered to himself wedged upwards in an air vent, his blueprint half open and a small flashlight turned on. 'If I am reading this right…I'm by the kitchen…'

Sniff. Sniff.

"Yum…chicken ramen. Diffidently the kitchen."

To be continued…

R/R.


	30. Chapter 30

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki.

-.-

Author Note: Keep an open mind.

-.-

"This was far too easy." Naruto whispered to himself, slowly and quietly crawling through the air vents of the Hokage Tower. The forbidden scroll discreetly henged into a pencil that is stabbed through his hair.

"What was too easy?"

Naruto blinked in shock to complete surprise. For one thing, is that he was in an air vent that was extremely cramped and that voice sounded far to damn familiar. Looking up Naruto's eyes went wide. He got caught by the last person he would have ever expected. "Shikamaru?"

"No, it's the Daimyo. Of course, it's me!" Shikamaru deadpanned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here? You are not expected back until later." Naruto asked nervously, this was so not part of his plan. Even though Shikamaru is his best friend/brother it doesn't mean the pineapple head won't tell on him…

Shikamaru stared at the 'pencil' in Naruto's hair. "You didn't…"

"Don't tell Okasan…I think I'm failing at the academy…"

-.-

"Uchiha, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked over at Choji and Naruto with a blank expression, especially towards the latter. There still was no new news from the original and time was running out. "Wish me luck."

"Take your time." Naruto waved ecstatically towards the Uchiha.

"Good luck, Sasuke-kun!" Many of the girls squealed out as Sasuke passed by them.

Sasuke resisted the urge to run away from them but he kept his pace deliberately slow. 'You better get back soon, Dobe.'

Choji nervously took out a bag of chips and opened them. He didn't begin to eat them as his nerves were getting the best of him. He had already gone before the vast majority of his classmates, his name was the second to be called out for the test. When his name was called out, he had to go into another room. Inside the room sat Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei, and Stinky-sensei. Iruka-sensei was the one that mainly spoke. What Choji needed to do is show proficiency in gen, nin or taijutsu. At most, they are required to show some know-how in one, two at the latest. Choji showed his skills through his families techniques, which was a combination of nin and taijutsu. Along with what he had learned with training with Naruto and Sasuke.

Now Choji has to wait until everyone finishes to see who could proceed forward or continue on in the academy. From what he understood, instead of announcing it right then and there, all results are tallied together and check over everything to ensure every single academy student is ready physically, mentally and figure out who could work together in unison. If they are not ready then they continue on their studies and train to become official shinobi of the Leaf. From past mistakes, stating a kid outright they failed…tends to make things worse for everyone around.

"This is going to be a very long day…" Choji sighed, leaning back on his seat to stare up at the ceiling.

"I'm sure everything is going to turn out alright, Choji." Naruto said with a grin.

"Shut up."

"You have been spending far too much with Sasuke-teme."

"Hn."

"Stop that!"

-.-

"I know he hated you...but to this extent?" Shikamaru dragged Naruto by his ear through the Hokage Tower. The older of the two ensured they were not being followed. He doesn't know if he is impressed or disturbs at the fact no one has yet to figure out Naruto stole the scroll.

"What can I say? I have no clue why people hate me." Naruto sighed dramatically, a grimace quickly took over his expression. "I still have no clue, I know I'm close to figuring it out but I feel like I'm missing a piece of the puzzle. Whenever I asked Okasan or Otosan, they change the subject and don't get me started with Old Man Hokage."

"…What a drag…Have you been keeping in contact with the Suna Siblings?" Shikamaru asked, stopping in the middle of a dimly and hardly used hallway. He let go of Naruto's ear to stuff his hand in his jacket.

"Yeah, their old man been making a bunch of treaties and other crap here in the village." Naruto rubbed his ear in an attempt to numb the pain. His expression at the fact that it appeared Shikamaru changed the subject. "Gaara always comes along, sometimes Temari and Kankuro come too sometimes. We missed you…"

"I know…" Shikamaru replied with a shrug. "At least I'm back now…Which means I have to help you get out of trouble."

Shikamaru gave the henged scroll a pointed look, his mind running a hundred miles an hour to come up with all possible solutions to his current situation. "We can't go to the Hokage as that would leave you to take total blame. Now you got yourself into this, now what? Tell me what you know?"

"Mizuki wants the Scroll of Seals, he used the fact I previously failed all tests to his advantage. I know for a fact I am passing this time, Iruka-sensei _ensured_ of that. My main plan was to expose him during my…RAMEN! My test!" Naruto exclaimed he turned around an ran off towards a window. Going to the academy no less leaving Shikamaru twirling a pencil in his dominant hand.

"Will there be a problem with this?" Shikamaru asked seemingly to no one.

"We had our suspicion…this will help us solidify everything we have against Mizuki." A tall figure appeared from around the corner to reveal Asuma Sarutobi. "We'll keep watch…I'm still finding it hard to believe no one has figured out the scroll has been taken by a civilian."

"Said civilian just took a scroll that was supposed guarded by Anbu…" Shikamaru deadpanned, he stuffed the pencil into his pouch and turned over to face Asuma. "Remember that one of many favors you still owe me?"

"Which favor are we talking about?" Asuma asked tiredly, he took out a cigarette and his lighter.

"Well…"

-.-

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Naruto and Choji looked over towards the window next to their desk to see a hand wave at them. The two of them looked at each other with a look of apprehension as they checked to see if anyone else noticed. No one had taken any notice of it.

"I guess you are done with that other thing," Choji whispered to Naruto.

Naruto looked around the class to ensure no one was paying, not so much, attention. He hid underneath the table and poof away. Choji watched the real Naruto Uzumaki open the window and crawl through it. The Akimichi took out a bag of chips and offered them to the tired Uzumaki.

Naruto sat back in his seat and slammed his head against the desk in an attempt to get some rest. He did, however, reach over to grab the bag of chips and hid them. Choji could see and hear Naruto munch on the chips.

"Uzumaki, Naruto." Mizuki called out, once he had opened the door of the classroom. He allowed Sasuke to walk pass to enter the classroom. The Uchiha walked back into the room with a look of nonchalance. That seemed to set off the fangirls in the class.

Naruto groaned aloud in total protest and a loader groan when Choji kicked him in the shin. That kick prompted Naruto to get up and trudged over towards the entrance of the classroom. He gave Sasuke a look when they both passed by each other. Sasuke gave him a short nod of acknowledgment before he sat back in his seat next to Choji, who nudged him with his elbow with a smile. In turn, Sasuke gave him a short smile at the silent praise.

Once Naruto was out of class and Mizuki closing the door behind themselves, they proceeded towards the examination room. The air around them was tense and uncomfortable, especially for the blonde.

"Did you retrieve the item?" Mizuki whispered to Naruto as they slowed down their pace.

Naruto's hand shot up to his hair to sense that the pencil that he stuck in his hair was gone. Once he realized that the pencil was gone, he played it cool by scratching the back of his head. With his notorious go happy smile, the Uzumaki began to spin his tale. "Well…I don't have it on me right now. I left it somewhere else for safekeeping."

"Oh…" Mizuki placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it tightly, warningly and dangerously so. "That wasn't what we discussed about in our agreement…"

"What did we discussed about again?" Naruto asked trying to pull away from Mizuki.

"Is there a problem?"

Mizuki and Naruto head snap up to see Iruka's head sticking out of the examination room with a look of concern. He stepped out of the room holding a clipboard in one hand and a pencil in another. "Mizuki? Naruto?"

Mizuki offered his typical placid smile towards Iruka. "Naruto-Kun was about to es-"

"He smells like fish." Naruto complains childishly, he made a face of disgust towards Mizuki. "He hates ramen too! How does someone hate ramen?"

Iruka eyed Naruto with a look of disbelief and it only grew when he looked over at Mizuki. He shook his head seeing as he wasn't going to get nowhere with either of them. "Come inside you two."

Naruto roughly shook of Mizuki's hand off himself. "Got it Iruka-sensei."

The Uzumaki shot Mizuki a dirty look while mentally thanking Shikamaru for his actions. He quickly walked into the room and true to what Choji told his clone. It was going to be Iruka, Mizuki and Stinky judging him; Naruto could only grumble at how unfair everything was.

Once Naruto and Mizuki were inside the room, Iruka closed the door behind themselves and motioned for Naruto to stand in the middle of the room. Standing in the middle of the room, Iruka looked down at the clipboard. "Tai-jutsu and Nin-jutsu?"

"We all know I am absolutely horrible doing Gen-jutsu." Naruto sighed dramatically, he started to spin around in his spot arms extended out. "The only thing I'm good at is ninjutsu and being all sneaky like…and kicking butt…but that's public knowledge."

Iruka could only chuckle at Naruto's words, he looked down at the clipboard he had in hand. "To determine that you are capable of becoming a shinobi of the leaf..."

"And finally leave this hell hole~" Naruto cheered out happily of the notion of finally leaving the academy.

"That's only if you pass, Naruto-Kun." Mizuki added in.

"Oh, I'll pass." Naruto responded stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Right Iruka-sensei?"

"Just start with the final portion of the test, Naruto." Iruka chuckled as he signaled for Naruto to start off the final portion of the exam.

-.-

"How did you do?" Sasuke asked as he watched Naruto dragged himself back into the classroom. The air around the Uzumaki reminded the Uchiha of every time his friend pranks would end up failing in the most horrible manner or getting caught by his adopted mother…

"Naruto?" Choji prodded his friend with a potato chip trying to get his attention once Naruto plopped himself back in his seat. "How did it go?"

Naruto stared ahead of him, his eyes vacant, shoulders tense, and he kept gripping his vest till his knuckles turned white. This began to worry his friends greatly, other students in the class were shooting him curious looks or of one of worry. "Shikamaru is back."

Choji and Sasuke shot each other a look, this has to do more than Shikamaru being back in the village. They would have expected the blonde to be jumping over the walls, talking a thousand words a minute an outright annoyance. There was something else to Naruto's current behavior.

"Alright, Naruto…what happened in there?" Sasuke elbowed Naruto in the ribs which earned him a groan of pain and annoyance. "Your brother is back, good news. However, there is something else that is making you this moody and that's my thing."

"You know you could tell us anything, Naruto." Choji said poking the blonde with his bag of chips.

"Mizuki and Stinky-sensei are trying to convince Iruka-sensei that he should fail me…" Naruto slowly rested his head on his desk and covered his head with his arms. "Under the pretense that I'm not fully capable of becoming a Shinobi of the Leaf for not having the love and care of the village."

"Is this because of your pranks?" Choji asked taking out another bag of potato chips.

Naruto only groaned in a sort of confirmation.

"If it was the case then the vast majority of us wouldn't be passing then." Sasuke deadpanned, he just could not believe at the level of hate their instructors would have against his friend. It was obvious they were coming up short with excuses and were grabbing out onto anything. The prank angle though… He, Choji, Ino, Hinata, Shino…. Okay, the vast majority of the class had one point or another was part of Naruto's pranks.

"I don't know and the kick is that…" Naruto glanced around the class before he reaches over to grab his friends closer to him and whispered. "I know for a fact that all the adults in my life know exactly why I am treated like this."

"Do you think Shikamaru knows?" Choji whispered, he quickly munched down his chips as worry filled him.

"I don't think so…I know so." Naruto frowned at the thought of his brother. He began to think about since the moment he knew that Shikamaru started to act differently around him. It started around the time of the Chunin Exams in Suna and meeting with Gaara, there was something different. At the time, Naruto thought it had to do with his promotion to Chunin and other troublesome things. Then it changed again with his promotion to Tokubetsu Jonin…There was something different in Shikamaru's eyes and the changed behavior. Once more, Naruto chalked it up with what had happened with Sasuke's clan. "I asked him about it once, he keeps asking if I am keeping contact with Gaara."

"Maybe Gaara knows?" Sasuke supplied.

"….I knew I keep forgetting to ask him something…"

Choji could only shake his head as he now watched Naruto and Sasuke bicker, he shook his potato chip bag to realize he had finished it. Pulling out another bag of chips, the Akimichi nonchalantly elbowed Naruto in the head. "We need to get down to business you two."

Naruto glared at Choji rubbing the back of his head. "What's with all the violence?"

"It's the only way we could get through that thick head of yours." Sasuke commented, he shot Choji a thumbs up for his actions against Naruto. The Akimichi could only shake his head as he began to wonder whatever happened to his seeming pacifist ways….oh right….he became friends with Sasuke and Naruto.

"What are we going to do then?" Choji whispered to his friends, he saw Naruto shoot Sasuke one last glare before he pulled out a piece paper.

"I have a couple of ideas, but there are for too many unknown variables for my liking." Naruto whispered he drew multiple figures and diagrams on the paper. "Don't make fun of my stick figures."

"You suck."

"Shut up, Teme!"

"More planning, less fighting." Choji chided his friends, in respect said friends tense momentarily before they quickly returned back to their plans.

-.-

"Why the hell did your old man allow this guy to teach?" Shikamaru shook his head as he read a personal file of one certain academy teacher. He squatted in front of a filing cabinet in a dimly lit room that was filled with said filing cabinets. In the other side of the room, his mentor leaned against a cabinet as he read another file. "The guy has crazy all over him."

"You know how my old man is…far to forgiving for his own good." Asuma commented, he shut the file he had on hand and filed it back into its proper place. "There are files missing."

"They are not missing." Shikamaru glanced down at the file he had on hand. "They are restricted to the public…there have been several 'accidents' that occurred that could very well use against Mizuki that has him remain as Chunin and permanent teaching position at the academy. This screams cover-up…"

"Still reading and looking up conspiracy theories?"

"It's no longer a theory unless it is proven true and it becomes a fact."

"Which is why the Daimyo sought you out to squash out all conspiracy theories against him and the Land of Fire."

"Don't remind me…majority of them were just _rumors_ that his _advisors_ created. At least that wasn't half as bad against living in the palace." Shikamaru's face scrunched up in disgust at the memories of staying at the Daimyo's Palace. Don't get him wrong, the room he was given for his stay had the comfiest bed he ever rested on ever. The food was amazing too… The issue was that everyone, mostly advisors, politicians, and guards, did not take it too well of taking orders from a 'kid'. Said kid that earned his right in the Twelve Guardian Shinobi…

This actually ended up in Shikamaru's favor, if anything it helped him weed out anyone that was considered a danger towards the Daimyo and the Land of Fire itself as a whole. They all blandly ignored them, not once did they consider him a danger. All the while they planed and sniggered at how they did things, Shikamaru went ahead with his mission and wiped those smirks off their faces. What Shikamaru mainly did was to figure out facts from fiction. He had his own share of dead ends, most of those dead ends would lead to complete and unnecessary fighting. No…the worst part is seeing the people that were once your friends and end up not being the people you once thought to be.

"Now…we have to go find that idiot brother of mine," Shikamaru said filing back the folder in place.

"And why are we even here in the first place?" Asuma asked doing the same actions. "You probably already knew about the guy before you even asked for the favor."

"Do you still want to owe me a favor?"

"Point taken."

"Anyway…Why did we not tell my old man about what happened?"

"I thought I told you to tell him?"

Silent alarms went off throughout the building surprising them. Shikamaru shot Asuma a look before they quickly ran out of the room to see several shinobi running around frantically. There were whispers about how someone had taken the forbidden scroll and how it was the Nara raised Uzumaki had taken it.

The Nara slowly looked up at the now sheepish Sarutobi. "My bad…"

"Figure out who pulled the alarm and warn the Hokage." Shikamaru hissed out at Asuma, pulling him down to eye level by the latter's vest. "The scroll is safe. Understood?"

"Crystal."

Shikamaru pushed Asuma back and ran off in a seemingly random direction.

"What the hell is the scroll when he asks me about it?" Asuma attempted to ask him, but the younger shinobi had already disappeared in the throng of shinobi. "….I really need to stop owing him favors."

-.-

"This was so not part of the plan. Plans 1a through 7b are out." Naruto whispered as he, Choji and Sasuke squashed themselves against a wall in a shady alleyway as several Anbu ran passed them. "Not even five minutes of leaving the Academy, the moron pulled the alarm me."

When the trio exited the Academy, they took one look of the Anbu that surrounded the area and quickly ran. Judging by the fact one of them screamed about the exact reason they were there. Safe to say someone found out the Forbidden scroll was stolen but what made Naruto raise an eyebrow is the fact they directed all the blame on him. There was such a short amount of time and he knew for a fact no one had taken noticed of the stolen scroll unless they were looking for it specially. Judging at the fact when Naruto found the scroll, it was covered in dust and cobwebs it has been seen by anyone for a long while…

"How do you know it's Mizuki?" Sasuke whispered to Naruto, he grabbed hold of Choji and Naruto's arms to pull them towards another location to hide.

"I had spent the vast majority of the morning taking the scroll, the only people that know I took it is you two and Mizuki." Naruto said, he eyed the area with a critical eye. "Along with Shikamaru. If he wanted to blab on me, he would have done that by dragging me to the Hokage or to Okasan."

"Then someone saw the scroll go missing then?" Choji asked resisting the urge to eat.

"The place where the scroll appeared like no one had been in there in ages, you had to be especially looking for it…" Naruto trailed off as they looked up to see more Anbu jumping over the rooftops just over their heads. "Okay…too close…This is your last chance…You two are still able to get out of this and I will not hold it against either of you for it."

"Shikamaru knows about this, I bet he's already thinking of something to get us out of it." Choji responded with a look of complete conviction.

"I'm with him." Sasuke nodded his head towards Choji's direction.

"You make it seem like you two don't trust my plans at all."

"We don't, we trust Shikamaru."

To be continued…

R/R.


	31. Chapter 31

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki.

-.-

"And where is the scroll?" Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff from his wooden pipe, he stared at his son. To his own credit, Asuma actually looked nervous as he stood in front of his father.

"Yeah about that...Shikamaru did not tell me where it is, he just said it's safe." Asuma coughed into his hand mentally cursing at his protégé for putting him on the spot.

Hiruzen pulled the pipe away from his lips and his lips curled upwardly as he began to chuckle. Of course, that would be the young Nara's response. Ah so typical of him, Shikamaru had grown to quite a Shinobi of the Leaf and the main cause of most recent headaches. Well from all Nara's in total. They have ways of causing headaches without even bothering to care about the wellbeings of everyone around them. The Hokage swore that's a common hobby they all have…causing headaches with their constant riddles, hidden messages, always planning ahead and never telling anyone of their plans. The latter of which is the main cause of their current headache. "Tell me again, what is going on?"

"Naruto Uzumaki was approached by Mizuki previously to take the Forbidden Scroll as a form of extra credit to graduate." Asuma explained the situation they were currently in; his posture was now loose but his voice had an edge to it. "Earlier today Naruto had taken the scroll and during the process of leaving with said scroll undetected until Shikamaru Nara caught him. Shikamaru swiped the scroll from Naruto before the blonde ran back to the Academy."

"Instead of coming to me right away you went off to the filing room." Hiruzen deadpanned. "Care to explain that…"

"Er…about that…" Asuma began to laugh nervously as he began to scratch his chin. "Shikamaru had apparently told me to tell you but…uh…"

"You forgot."

"I'm telling you now..." Asuma replied weakly.

"Yes…after said traitor had informed us of said betrayal." Hiruzen refilled his pipe, maintaining eye contact with Asuma as he spoke. "Now almost entire village wants Naruto's head on a pike using this as an excuse for it."

"…If you need me…I'm going to try to divert said village from hurting Naruto."

"Oh, yes…go do that."

-.-

"Are they gone?"

"I think so…?"

"Stay quiet, they're coming."

Choji, Naruto, and Sasuke were using a tarp to blend themselves into the wooden fencing that is all around the village. They all had to hold back a snort at the fact several Chunin's and Jonin's run-pass them screaming out profanities. Just like any other day when they do pranks and getting chased around by the authorities. The only difference now is the KMPF are now part of the chase, well it is actually working in their favor as they more or less seem to ignore them intentionally. This only makes them worry, though, meaning someone had told them to do so. Okay…meaning that Shisui or Itachi are going to hunt them down.

"Brother is going to kill me." Sasuke said, pulling tarp away from himself.

"Only if we prove our innocence~" Naruto smiled sweetly at Sasuke pulling the tarp away from himself.

"Less talking, more hiding." Choji hissed at them, covering themselves with the tarp. Right at the moment the three of them hid away behind the tarp another group of Shinobi runs pass them. The moment that they were away from them, the Akimichi quickly took the tarp and tossed it over the fence. "Let's go."

"Got it!"

Trio quickly ran off hoping they will not get caught anytime soon. There were times that they believed they were going to get caught, but for whatever reason or sheer dumb luck, they were not. They did not stop running until they ended up in a heavily forested training area. It was the same area that the three would train together or hide from their elders whenever a prank would go array.

"Why are we here?" Sasuke hissed at Naruto, tugging at his arm harshly.

"Do you believe hiding here is a good idea?" Choji asked worriedly to his friends, he kept twitching around and his eyes wandered around waiting for someone to just to pop out. "They all know we hide here when we get in trouble."

"That's why it's a perfect place to hide." Naruto said uncontrollably, his eyes were frantic and he kept losing control of his limbs. "It is the spot they expect us to be here, yet they will believe we will not be here meaning they will look somewhere else. MEANING!"

"Found you, boys…."

"Damn it. There goes that and many other plans." Naruto visibly inflated at the fact they just got caught by the last person he wanted to see. There stood Mizuki and the expression he wore made the three preteens to take several steps away from the man. Naruto felt Sasuke grip on his tightened to the point he knows there will be bruises there and then he could see Choji from the corner of his eye that he kept glancing at a seemingly random spot. He attempted to look at the spot that Choji was looking at but said spot that Naruto stood would give it away. "Hey…Mizuki-sensei…"

"Naruto what have you done? The entire village is in a total uproar." Mizuki said worriedly, for just a split second he grimaced at the sight of Choji and Sasuke. He had not anticipated those two to appear with Naruto. Now he has to rearrange his plans, it is one thing to go after the jinchuriki but the other two are a whole another complication. "Choji? Sasuke? Are both of you okay?"

The next couple of seconds, Naruto swore that his mind was once again being pulled back in. The only sense he has was his sight, and Naruto swore that time seemed to slow down tremendously. He saw Mizuki lips moving and how the traitor expression turned merciless the more they moved. Turning his head to see Sasuke glaring at Mizuki turning his head against to see Choji staring at him with a look of disbelief.

If only Naruto could hear what Mizuki is telling them, whatever it is… left a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. Then…his hearing return and caused his mind to fully pulled back into that sewer.

"You are the Nine-Tailed Fox Naruto!"

-.-

"CURSE YOU, SHIKAMARU!" Naruto screamed, his voice reverberated all throughout the sewer. The moment he stopped screaming he started to run off further into the sewer. The further the blonde ran, the faster the sewer seemed to fill with seemingly clear water. The lights started to flicker and turn far dimmer than they were before. "You know something and you didn't tell me!"

Naruto slid to a halt, in front of him are two different paths, he swore as one path seemed to call him. The only issue was that said path was completely pitch black and the other path had a constant flickering light that seemed to mock him. The Uzumaki head kept going back and forth on both paths wondering just which one he should take. Running his hands through his now disheveled hair and take deep hold of it. "Forget this!"

Naruto took the path that had the flickering light, all the while that pulling feeling from the other path started to weaken. All he wanted to is go back to reality and confront his brother in all but the blood just exactly what he has been trying to tell him for years. Why Shikamaru had made it a point to stay away from the village for so long as he has been.

'You knew Shikamaru…you flipping knew.' Naruto thought vividly, he shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. This was not the time to freak out, this is clearly the time to have a clear mind and figure out how to get back to reality. He would think of the negative later and perhaps corner Shikamaru about everything later.

-.-

"Hokage-sama!" Iruka stormed into the Hokage's office, panic and anger swirled within him as he tightly gripped a seemingly boring looking pencil.

Hiruzen looked up from his desk with an eyebrow raised and tired eyes. He signaled for the Academy Instructor to entire his office. "Iruka, did you find Naruto?"

"No, Hokage-sama." Iruka shook his head, he entered the office and closing the door behind himself. He tightly gripped the pencil in his grasp, this object will help yet destroy everything he knew.

Hiruzen eyes narrowed at the pencil in Iruka's grasp. "Where did you find that?"

"I found this in…Mizuki's belongings." Iruka said he placed the pencil on the Hokage's desk.

Hiruzen did a single hand seal and the pencil poof and replacing it is the scroll that everyone been looking for. "Tell me again how you found this?"

Iruka was about to say explain when he suddenly poof away in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen slowly blinked. "Shadow clones…"

-.-

Asuma let out a sigh of relief when he watched a group of Anbu ran off towards the opposite direction where he suspected Naruto and his friends are. He diverted the direction of a mob in another direction. 'It's rather sad how much everyone wants Naruto dead…'

"Asuma!"

Asuma turned around to see Kurenai, Kakashi, and Gai running towards him. All of them had a similar expression that has him internally groaning. A look that clearly knew something else is going on and they all knew he was a part of it. "Yeah?"

"Your protégé found sent us," Kakashi said as he and the other now stood in front of Asuma. "Said something about you being an idiot."

"Shikamaru…" Asuma cursed under his breath before he told anything else, he barked out orders towards a group of Chunin and Jounin. "A group already went that way, head north!"

-.-

"Where are they?" Shikamaru muttered under his breath, he avoided any contact with anyone as he continued on with his search. He made a mental note of how the KMPF were avoiding him like the plague. Stopping in front of Ichiraku, the Nara pulled on his ponytail in a moment of frustration. "What a drag."

"Oi! Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru blinked once and the next second Shisui Uchiha appeared right in front of him. "Do you know where Naruto is?"

"Jeez, always straight to the point." Shisui flinched mockingly.

"Well?"

"To make this simple…Mizuki double-crossed Naruto."

"I already knew that."

"…Stupid genius brat…" Shisui mocked under his breath, his expression turned serious as his voice dropped down to a whisper. "The traitor has Naruto and Choji cornered, Sasuke was forced by the both of them to look for help."

"And why the hell are you here and not there?" Shikamaru grabbed Shisui by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to his eye level. "Well?"

"Iruka went after them." Shisui squeaked, raising his hands up defensively. "And we both know that those three are more than capably taken care of themselves."

"Iruka? Hn…He found the scroll then." Shikamaru pushed Shisui away from himself, he looked up towards the sky thoughtfully.

"Wait…You…What…? You know what? I give up." Shisui threw his arms up defeated, he turned around and began to rant out his misgivings towards prodigies. "All you prodigies are so headache-inducing bastards."

When Shisui turned back around to realize that Shikamaru was gone. "_Prodigies_…"

-.-

"Everything is going to be okay, Sasuke." Itachi attempted to comfort his brother.

"I should be back there." Sasuke murmured, staring out the window forebodingly. His hands were tightened into fists.

"Your teacher made it a point to return back home and he would take care of it." Itachi said placing his hand on top of Sasuke's head.

"I should be there." Sasuke stated glancing up at his older brother. "I feel like I abandoned them."

"You and Choji played rock-paper-scissors to see who will inform us…you lost." Itachi deadpanned. "Go back there now, you could worsen the situation."

"…I knew I should have gone with paper." Sasuke said under his breath.

"Your friends will be okay, just watch."

-.-

Naruto did not know how long he has been in the darkness. It felt as if he was in limbo, conscious yet unconscious. That horrible feeling, he would get when his mind would be sucked in and sucked out. To him, it was far worse coming out of it. As Naruto knew he did things while in limbo and have no clue what he did and did not do.

The first sense that returned to Naruto is his hearing if it were not for the fact he could not feel it. He felt his throat tightened.

"_Naruto is nothing like the Nine-Tailed Fox…He's Naruto Uzumaki, of Village the Hidden in the Leaves._"

In that instant, Naruto all of his senses returned and no longer in that sense of limbo. The first thing he felt is something or someone had slapped his cheeks repeatedly. Blinking repeatedly to set his vision straight again, Naruto looked up to see Choji looking at him with a look of panic. Choji had his hand raised signifying Naruto why his cheeks are in pain. "Ow! What the hell!"

Choji grabbed hold of Naruto's shoulders and shook him repeatedly. "Sasuke went to get help and now we need to help Iruka-sensei!"

"What the heck happened?" Naruto pushed Choji away from him at an arm's length. He shook him back as he started to ask his questions. "Where's Sasuke? Is he okay? What do you mean we need to help Iruka-sensei?"

"You blacked out again, this time, you were completely out of it. You were like a zombie!" Choji informed Naruto, fear, and worry became evident as the more he spoke. His voice quickly turned determined when he spoke about their former and current teachers. "Mizuki was about to kill us when Iruka-sensei stepped in..."

Naruto took note that Choji expression faltered momentarily but did not remark on that.

"He told us to run and get help. I made Sasuke go get help but I don't think they are going to get here in time. We have to help Iruka-sensei!"

"Then why the hell are we still standing here!"

"If it weren't for the fact how grave the situation is right now, then I would have knocked you out." Choji deadpanned.

"Finally…found you."

-.-

Iruka leaned against a tree, breathing heavily and holding onto his heavily bloody side. His shadow clone had poof out notifying him that the Hokage received the Forbidden Scroll back. Relief followed him at that thought as Naruto's name will be temporarily cleared. All that needs no is for everyone to fully know that Mizuki is the monster in this. Standing across of Iruka is Mizuki that looked kill crazy at this point. Mizuki spins the giant shuriken and the killer intent he began to leak out made Iruka chuckled dryly.

'I guess this is the end…' Iruka mused with a smile, he is about to die protecting his students. The thought actually made him feel at peace. He wasn't going to give Mizuki the satisfaction of his death in his terms.

Right when Mizuki was going to launch the giant shuriken at Iruka, large arms extended from the forest and headed towards both teachers. Mizuki eyes widen in surprise and he quickly jumped away. Iruka winced when he was grabbed, and pulled into the forest. Iruka came face to face with Choji.

"I told you to run." Iruka winced again when Choji placed him down next to a tree.

"Leave you behind, nah." Choji said retracting his other arm. "Now be quiet, Naruto is going to take care of Mizuki."

"Naruto is over his lea-"

"We both know Naruto is more than capable…" Choji retorted quietly.

Iruka paused taking in Choji's words, he only let out a sigh. Another thing crossed his mind. "About Naruto…"

"Naruto is Naruto. An idiot." Choji glanced over at the area where he knew that Naruto is about to fight Mizuki. He only saw a sea of Naruto…. that was new.

-.-

Shikamaru silently watched his adoptive brother confront the traitorous teacher. He couldn't help but grin at how much Naruto grew in terms of being a Shinobi. That grin disappeared when Mizuki mentioned Naruto's status of being a Jinchuriki. That's going to be a pain for everyone…

"Whoa…" Shisui said in awe, appearing right next to Shikamaru. "Look at tha-"

Shikamaru grabbed Shisui by his shirt and pulled him down. "Keep quiet and watch."

Shisui only rolled his eyes at Shikamaru's actions but did not comment. He started to grin widely watching Naruto beat the snot out of Mizuki. Perhaps taking a team of genin would not be so bad. Especially if one of them could create a one-man army.

"Whatever you are thinking of…stop."

-.-

The Third Hokage let out a sigh of relief when everything was said and done. Mizuki traitorous ways, blaming Naruto to only have others revert the blame back on the former instructor. Far too many problems within one huge complication. Anbu are now sent out to settle down any stragglers that are still tended on hunting down Naruto. The scroll is back in place and everything would have been dandy if it were not for Mizuki opening his mouth.

Naruto now knows of the Nine-Tailed Fox... The upside of this situation for the Hokage is that Naruto's adoptive family are telling him everything. The law he created to protect Naruto from knowing the truth, is now void towards them. He could already imagine how Naruto would react towards it.

-.-

"Sleep now...Talk later." Naruto groaned in protest as his parents and brother attempted to speak to him. "Too tired..."

"It's only seven in the afternoon...we need to talk."

"Nooooo..."

"Yes."

"No."

'Yes."

"Too troublesome..."

To be continued…

R/R.


	32. Chapter 32

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki.

-.-

"The Third's Law outlawed of anyone speaking about that night and how exactly you are connected to it…"

The Nara family sat around the porch that faced the Nara Forest that surrounded their home. It was midday, the wind silently billowing the leaves, and a serene atmosphere surrounding them. The type of atmosphere that felt the exact opposite for each one of them. Even if they seem they are calm physically, mentally they all are on edge.

"Is that why you made it a point to avoid all my questions about…" Naruto swirled his hand over his stomach. He was leaning against a beam, looking over his shoulders to see the billowing leaves. "And how you…avoided it like the plague."

Naruto kicked Shikamaru, who was laying on the porch, allowing his head to hang over the edge of it. Shikamaru groaned in protest, but he didn't say or do anything about. "You know how bad I am at lying to you…"

"No…You were too worried about being sent to prison for killing more than half of the population of the Village." Naruto deadpanned.

"You know me so well…"

"Boys…" Yoshino only shook her head at her boys, she placed a tray that has a steaming teapot, four cups and a place filled with random treats. Naruto took note at how said treats are his favorites along with his favorite type of tea. "Behave."

"He started it." Shikamaru and Naruto responded in unison, pointing at the other.

"I do have one thing to ask you guys, though…" Naruto was finding it hard to swallow as he thought about what he needed to ask his adoptive parents. "Was…was this the reason why…why…Uh… Was this why I had trouble controlling my chakra?"

All he got were raised eyebrows, which caused Naruto to berate himself for not asking what he actually wanted to ask. They all saw through him and this prompted a rise of mix feelings in Naruto to rise up. In one hand he finally found out the reason why everyone hated or were scared of him but now. Shaking his head, Naruto looked determinedly at his family to get his answers. If he does not get his questions answered, then he will live under a cloud of doubt. "Did any of you were ever scared of me? Hated me? Something? Why didn't any of you treated me like anyone else?"

"I once asked dad why everyone avoided you like the plague." Shikamaru began to say, he shot Naruto a look to remain quiet. "He asked me how I felt about you…Do you want to know what I said to him? I said you were a stupid but funny guy and he responded that I should do what I wanted to do. What I did ended up you becoming my brother. Now shut up and eat a cookie."

Shikaku sat on a giant pillow, a low table set in front of him that has his own cup of tea and treats. He watched his sons start to throw snarky remarks at each other, he couldn't help but smile at the scene. That smile turned into a frown and he hides it behind his cup of hot tea. There are still many other secrets that are connected to the one he further explained to Naruto. One of the said secrets is Naruto's parentage.

"Is something wrong, Otosan?"

Shikaku looked over at Naruto, who was giving him a puzzled look. An idea ran across his mind staring at Naruto's oh so familiar appearance. For now, Shikaku will remain silent until Naruto will ask him about his true parentage and only when he feels that the blonde is fully capable of taking care of himself against any enemy. Until then, he would protect his boys to the best of his abilities. "Your mother hasn't said a word… She has something planned."

Shikamaru and Naruto paled, they looked at each other and in silent agreement they got up in unison. They didn't even look back as they ran out of the compound. The moment they disappeared, Yoshino returned with an armful of board games. Her eyes darted at the previous spots that her sons were previously sitting at. "They ran off didn't they?"

For his own safety, Shikaku stayed silent as he watched his wife silently fumed.

-.-

"Could we got see Choji or Sasuke first?" Shikamaru asked once he and Naruto finally left the Nara lands, now on the main road heading into the heart of the village.

"Choji, he was there the longest and…Mizuki told him more about…" Naruto voice trailed off when he took note of people started to stare, point and whispers pointed towards him. Now knowing the full truth behind them, it actually made everything seem so much worse.

Shikamaru nudged him with his shoulder. "Remember why I avoided you... mass bloodshed on my part."

"…I don't know if I should laugh or actually feel more like crap." Naruto deadpanned, nudging Shikamaru back.

"You are Naruto Uzumaki…Nara raised…. what do we Nara males do? Nothing." Shikamaru swung his arm around Naruto's shoulders, tugging him along towards their destination. "It would be far too troublesome."

"Unless it has to do with our friends or loved ones then it is not so troublesome." Naruto managed to crack a smile, he swung his own arm over Shikamaru's arm. "I know, but…I am still taking it all in."

"Just don't keep it all bottled in, that's just as worse," Shikamaru said reassuringly. "You're my brother, and it would be a drag if you end up getting off the rails."

"I really hate you so much right now." Naruto deadpanned once more, he then snorted as Shikamaru continued on trying to distract him from the harsh whispers and glares pointed his way. "You sure are doing a hell of a job trying to distract me."

"Is it working?"

"You keep fidgeting towards your weapons, glaring back at anyone who glares to long at me and this is more for you than for me. Yeah…working." Naruto grinned his oh so familiar grin, not his typical fake one.

"Good."

-.-

"Is that why he has horrible chakra control?"

Itachi stared at his younger brother, he blinked questioningly at him. Out of all the things, Sasuke could have asked him about Naruto, that had to be the first thing he asked. He could not tell if that was a good or bad thing. Good as in, Sasuke accepted who exactly is his best friend or bad as in terms of their rivalry. Friendly or not so friendly, Itachi has yet to know about that and that worries him. "Yes."

"That would explain a lot of things…" Sasuke said under his breath, recounting all the times Naruto had difficulty doing the simplest Justus along with Gen-jutsu. Including how Naruto would go on for hours without feeling some sort of chakra exhaustion. "Is this why most of the Academy Instructors hated him? Because he has the Nine-Tailed Fox in him?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Itachi answered him, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window remembering the day the Fox attacked the village. "The day the Fox attacked the village… many were killed, injured and their lives changed forever. The Fourth sacrificed himself to save the village and in turn, that sacrificed turned to who you see today."

"We are surrounded by idiots…"

"I know…"

-.-

"Mom and Dad told me more about…you know…" Choji motioned at Naruto whole figure. "Along with other things."

Choji, Naruto, and Shikamaru sat around Choji's room, all munching on randomly packaged foods. Naruto and Shikamaru had arrived at Choji's home, Choza had told him that his son was in his room and invited them inside. Now the three boys are in Choji's room, munching away and saying random things here and there.

"What do you think then?" Naruto asked quietly. "Are you scared? Terrified? Something?"

"Scared, yeah. Terrified, maybe. The only thing I feel about you is a complete annoyance." Choji explained, he opened a drawer on his nightstand and pulled out another bag of chips. "I mean come on! You are not some _demon_ or _monster_. You are you! I mean come on! If something were to happen to you, then what will happen to…that thing!"

Choji pointed at Naruto's stomach, wagging a finger at his direction. "What would have happened one of them beat you and did something to the seal! Hm?"

"You know; I didn't see it that way?" Naruto stated, scratching his cheek in thought. "I guess…it could happen. Don't know, have to ask the Old Man and Otosan about it."

"Are we all good then?" Shikamaru asked, looking back and forth at Naruto and Choji.

"All good."

"Also, good."

"Good, now we have to find Sasuke." Shikamaru said standing up from his spot. "Then you three have to go to the academy. It starts at noon, and then you will find out if you got promoted or not."

-.-

When Choji, Naruto, and Shikamaru arrived at the Uchiha Compound, they found Sasuke waiting for them in front of the gates. Once Sasuke saw them, he headed over towards his friends with both hands stuffed in his pockets. "Itachi filled me in on what happened."

"Is everything okay between us?" Naruto asked once he and Sasuke stood to face each other.

"Yeah…You're still an idiot, though." Sasuke sighed, his lips curled into a smirk when he saw Naruto cheeks puffed out in agitation. "Doesn't really make a difference."

Shikamaru took a step back and watched the others interact with each other. His lips quirked into a small smile, he could see the relief rush through Naruto. This time, it was an actual genuine relief and now…they all are staring at him suspiciously. "What?"

"What happened to Mizuki?" Choji asked.

"He has a date in the T&I Department." Shikamaru couldn't help but grin at the notion of it. The traitor probably still being interrogated by Ibiki and Anko. The grin only grew at the thought, his expression changed back to one of boredom. "Anyway…you three have to go back to the academy. It's almost noon, you three need to head out already."

Choji, Naruto, and Sasuke glanced at each other, the first one to move was Sasuke. The Uchiha pushed down the Akimichi and Uzumaki down to the ground, running off towards the direction of the academy. The Akimichi was about to get back up when the Uzumaki pulled him down and ran off laughing his head off.

"Oh, that is it!" Shikamaru watched Choji used the Partial Multi-Size Technique with both his arms, said arms raced after Sasuke and Naruto. Judging from the screams, Choji got them in his grasp and he ran off. "You two are going to get it now!"

Shikamaru could only smile, he shook his head and quickly headed towards the Academy, as the Jonin Standby Station was next to it. Instead of taking the roads, he jumped up towards the roofs to get there faster. He looked down to see Choji still have his friends in his grasps chiding them for their actions. With a smirk, Shikamaru waved down at them before he was out of their sights. He didn't see the glares that were shot his way.

-.-

"This would have been so much easier if Shikamaru didn't graduate ahead of us." Ino huffed out in her seat, arms crossed over her chest. "Then he, Choji and I would be Ino-Shika-Cho."

"Shikamaru this, Shikamaru that. What about him now?" Sakura questioned her, an eyebrow raised. Throughout the entire time that Sakura had known Ino, she always spoke highly of Shikamaru Nara. Every time anyone talked about how great Sasuke-Kun is, Ino would point her nose into the air and talk about how Shikamaru is better. It only got worse since people started to talk about team placements.

"Ino-Shika-Cho is a formation used by members of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clan members designed as a result of our long history of working together," Ino informed Sakura, her entire expression brightened the more she spoke. "I wanted to be teamed up with Choji and Shikamaru to form the new generation Ino-Shika-Cho. Now…that is a distant dream…."

"You and Choji could still do that right?" Sakura asked.

"It wouldn't be the same and I don't think we will end up on the same team anyway." Ino sighed disheartened by the thought. "It will throw everything out of balance and it would not be the same."

"Was it necessary for you to carry us here, Choji?"

"I think I have a wedgie..."

"You two pushed me down…this is vengeance."

Walking into the classroom is Choji shaking his head at his friends, Naruto pulling on his shorts and Sasuke rearranging the bandages around his arms. Fan-girls squealed aloud when they saw Sasuke began taking off said bandages off, this made the Uchiha quickly stop his actions and hide behind his friends. Naruto could only shake his head, he stuffed his hands in his pocket and ensured he kept Sasuke from everyone's sight. Then there were whispers, mostly from the civilian born kids. Their eyes screamed worry and distrust when they looked at Naruto. Feeling said stares, Naruto looked around the class to see that a couple of his classmates were gone. Looking back, the ones that were no longer there are the ones that were at risk of failing. Perhaps they did fail and were prompted to not come today. Perhaps…

"You shouldn't have carried us over here, Choji." Sasuke said to Choji

"You two had it coming…Vengeance." Was Choji's only response.

-.-

"Congratulations everyone for graduating, you all are now Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf," Iruka announced to his class, he could only shake his head when he saw the empty seats. Half of those students did not make the mark and were given the option to either retake the class or drop out entirely. The other half were pulled out by their parents after last night's fiasco. Fearing for the safety of their children and not trusting the Shinobi system… Shaking those thoughts from his, Iruka pulled out a box that contained forehead protectors. "Once I call out your teams, come down to retrieve your own forehead protector."

'I passed! Take that!'

'Cha! One more step getting closer to Sasuke-Kun!'

'I'm still hungry…'

'I passed.'

Were some of the many thoughts that ran through the minds of Iruka's students. All these thoughts quickly went away when Iruka took out a clipboard and started to announce the team placements along with the names of their Jonin instructors. As the Academy teacher called out each team, the tension in the air grew. The majority of the class, fan-girls, wanted to be placed on the same team as Sasuke or wanted to not get stuck with certain people. In the belief, they would hold them back or backlash.

"Team 6…Choji Akichimi…"

Choji stood straight in his seat, his eyes focused on Iruka waiting to see who will be on the same team as he.

"Sasuke Uchiha…"

Choji and Sasuke looked at each other, a fire in their eyes and hope that they will not get stuck with a fan-girl.

"And-"

The jiggle of the doorknob caused everyone to turn to see Shisui Uchiha wearing the standard Konoha-nin outfit, taking a confused step into the class. "Is this class...?"

"Yes it is, all Jonin are not expected to be here until another hour," Iruka said when he looked up at the clock.

"Oops...Sorry, could I just take my team already, though? I am already here…" Shisui asked, not even taking note of how Iruka was getting annoyed by the younger man. "Oh hey, Sasuke!"

Sasuke sank in his seat, avoiding eye contact with everyone around him. "He better not be who I think he is going to be…"

"I feel bad for whoever's team he ends up leading." Naruto could only shake his head at the thought of Shisui Uchiha being a sensei. Shisui is a great teacher, don't get him wrong. The only problem is that he has a…tendency of being annoying that even makes Naruto shake his head in dismay.

"Fine…Take them." Iruka sighed, hitting his face with his clipboard. "Team Six… Choji Akimichi, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki…your Jonin instructor is…"

Iruka only pointed at a grinning Shisui, in that instant wails of displeasure rang out through the classroom. No girls were selected to be in Team Six, all hopes, and dreams…gone.

"This is not fair!" Sakura and Sasuke both said in unison, standing up causing their chairs to rocket back. Everyone looked at them, giving them looks of bewilderment. Sasuke looked down in embarrassment when Naruto started to whistle and promptly picked up his seat, sitting back down. Sakura face turned red and quickly picked up her own seat to sit down too.

"Oh come on, I'm not all that bad~" Shisui said, he took out three of the forehead protectors from Iruka and waved at his new genin team. "Let's go! Time's a wastin!"

Iruka watched Team Six get up from their seats and follow their sensei out the door. He would have to check up on them later. "Congrats you three."

"Thank you Iruka-sensei," Choji responded with a smile and a short wave.

"Thanks." Sasuke managed to give Iruka a small smile that quickly faded away.

"How could you Iruka-sensei…I thought you liked us…" Naruto moaned in protest, walking out of the classroom.

"Anyway…Team Seven…" Iruka called out three names.

"Team Eight…"

"Team Nine… Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyūga, and Kiba Inuzuka…your Jonin is Kakashi Hatake."

"Team Ten…"

"Team 11…"

"Team Twelve Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and Ryou Yuuki…your Jonin Instructor is Kurenai Yuhi."

-.-

"Did my brother put you up to this?" Sasuke asked once Team Six gathered around stone bench by the Academy.

"Actually, Itachi more or less blackmailed into this." Shisui laughed, ignoring the deadpanned looks his genin were giving him. "Anyway…"

Shisui turned around, closed his eyes, both arms behind his back as he spoke to his team. "This is just a formality you three are not official genin until you do one final test…. This test is to see if you have the Will of Fire and other random things."

Naruto looked at his friends now teammates with a bored look, he shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the forehead protectors that tied to Shisui's vest. Sasuke flicked his finger with his pointer finger and Choji tapped his nose with his own pinky. Grins appeared on all their faces as they began to formulate a plan.

"And thus…in order for me to ensure that you three are capable of being Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf….This is…taking the…" Shisui patted his side where he had tied the boys forehead protectors to feel that they were not longer there. He turned around to see that his genin were no longer sitting on the stone bench. "Boys? Did they just ditch me?"

To be continued…

R/R.


	33. Chapter 33

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki.

-.-

"I blame both of you."

"Shut up."

"I demand a rematch! Rematch I say!"

Team Six were tied up and hung upside down in the middle of a heavily forested training ground. Right after they had retrieved their headbands from their teacher, said teacher found them, knocked them out and now they were there. Without their headbands… Now Shisui stood in front of his genin team waving their headbands at them mockingly. "This what happens to naughty boys~ Now you have to pay the consequences~~~~"

"Let us go! We'll kick your butt!" Naruto wiggled excessively trying to get out of his restraints.

Choji and Sasuke both looked at Naruto with deadpanned expressions, how in the world could a genin defeat a Jonin. Considering said Jonin would occasionally train with them and kick their asses with little to no restraint. They have no chances of beating the guy.

"What do you want us to do? You said we needed to do one final test, what do you want us to do?" Sasuke asked his distant cousin/teacher.

"Eh, you three already passed your test. The main goal was getting your headbands from me, which you did." Shisui dropped the items below where his genin was hanging from. "I just wanted to teach you three a lesson for ditching me."

"Of course…" Choji huffed out, he wiggled trying to regain sensation in his arms.

"…You know what…I give up." Naruto grumbled under his breath, realizing he overexerted for nothing. "You are horrible."

"I know." Shisui grinned sadistically at the genin. "Now for your proper punishment… You three have to get free from there yourselves. Ta ta."

Shisui disappeared in a puff of smoke and they swore they could hear his echoing laughter.

"Your cousin is going to end up killing us." Choji stated evenly to Sasuke.

"I know…Do you believe we could get someone else to be our sensei?" Sasuke asked his teammates.

"Doubt it, we might as well get ourselves out of this. Ah, that feels better."

Choji and Sasuke's heads snapped over to see that Naruto had managed to set himself free from his restraints. He gave his friends a devious smile when he caught their looks of shock and annoyance. "What? Do you know how many times' I've been caught and tied up? I have more than enough practice."

"Right…help us out of here.?" Sasuke demanded him, struggling excessively against his restraints.

"Hmm… Nah." Naruto chuckled silently to himself, he picked up his headband and promptly tied it around his left bicep. "Later suckers!"

"You are going to regret doing that, Naruto." Choji stated in a far too calmly for his friend's taste.

"Yeah rig-Ahhh!" Unbeknownst to Naruto, he had unknowingly stepped on a wire string hidden on a bunch of dead leaves. The moment that Naruto stepped on it, he was then back in the previous position he was in. Tied up, hanging upside down on a tree. "Don't say it…"

"Karma."

-.-

"Hahahaha, this is priceless."

"That…was a rather effective move."

"I am so sorry!"

Kakashi Hatake leaned heavily against a tree, both hands rubbing his lower stomach while mentally thanking Kami Hinata didn't aim any lower. Otherwise, he would be in far more pain than he already should be. He has assigned the three genins a test, the bell test. Unlike many genins before them, they worked as a team. All three of them using their family's abilities to the best to their own power and it showed greatly. Kakashi had managed to separate them and his first target, little mousy Hinata Hyūga. How he approached her caused the little Hyūga to block several chakra points on his lower stomach. Hinata quickly jumped away from the heavily pained Jounin stuttering out apologies. The apologies were quickly heard by Hinata's teammates and quickly ran towards the location. This prompted what was stated earlier. "The test…is still…in notion."

Jingle. Jingle. Jingle.

All sensation of pain in the far end of his mind, Kakashi slowly reached over where he knew he had tied the bells. Nothing. The bells were no longer there. Turning around he saw Hinata's head bowed down and her left hand extended out jingling the bells.

"S-sorry, I'm not sorry!"

-.-

Kurenai facepalmed, shaking her head at the antics of her genin team. Her thoughts about said team ran from being proud to feeling completely annoyed with them. Proud at the fact they managed to pull through with her test, as a team and annoyed for the fact that they do not seem to get along… At all… Sakura is a textbook example of a fangirl as she continued to complain about not being in the same team as one Sasuke Uchiha. Akira… she is clueless when it comes to human interaction, attempts to act like the mature one but that backfires on her as she talked everything literally. Ino is the only one that has any idea of what she is doing, she was the one that took charge and leads her teammates to their goal.

The annoyance comes into play as they prefer to spend their time arguing over anything to everything. One would come up with a plan, someone else would shoot it down and the last one would come up with another plan. The process would repeat itself continuously. They actually spent three hours just to come up with a single plan they could even agree on. Once said was agreed upon, it took another hour just to figure out who does what for the plan.

Kurenai shook her head to ward off the memory to ward of the potential headache. As long as they passed, that's all that matters in the end. "I knew I should have waited another year."

-.-

"You left them hanging upside down to a tree…then booby-trapped the entire area…" Shikamaru sat across of Shisui, both of them along with Asuma were sitting around Jonin Standby Station. An area where Jonin would hang out around, the main hangout for them to pass time when they are not occupied with anything else. "You do realize they will get you back for that."

"Eh, let them try!" Shisui laughed it off waving him off, lying lazily on a three-seater couch. "I'll just get them back."

"What a drag." Shikamaru shook his head at the thought of his adoptive brother and friends out there trying to get loose from their restraints. He was sitting on a giant pillow sitting across of Asuma who was also sitting on a pillow. A Shogi board in-between them, he was winning of course. "I win…again."

Asuma blinked slowly at the board, he saw the last move that Shikamaru made and grounded his teeth together. Of course, he just lost. "You cheated…"

"Cheating would be too much of a drag." Shikamaru shrugged, he started to place all the pieces back in place to play another game. "Help me."

Asuma begrudgingly helped Shikamaru place all the pieces back into place. He sent Shisui a glare when said man laughed at him. "How about you go up against Shikamaru in a game of Shogi?"

"Naw, rather save him the humiliation." Shisui waved off the proposition. "There is no way that Shikamaru is that good."

"Then play against me then. Or are you too scared…?" Shikamaru asked, even if his voice sounded bored it was obvious that the tone was challenging.

"Don't cry if you ended up losing." Shisui got up from his spot and pushed Asuma off the pillow he was sitting on. He didn't see the smirk that Asuma gave him as the older Jonin got up and sat on the couch the Uchiha was sitting on. "Now…let's see…"

Five minutes later… (That also included the time to rearrange all the pieces to start off the game.)

Shisui eyes were wide in complete disbelief, jaw slacked and pointing a shaking finger at the Shogi board not believing what just occurred. "You cheated! You Just-How-CURSE YOU!"

"Who's crying now?"

-.-

"How many traps does this make again?"

"I lost count after the twentieth-something trap."

"Ah…" Naruto let out a very tired sigh, he dropped his head forehead in complete defeat. It has been hours since they were stuck in their teacher's trap. As every time they got free, they would get ensnared into another trap. Again and again, and again. Now the current trap they are in resulted with him, Choji and Sasuke tied together, their backed facing each other. The only good thing that happened is that they did manage to get their headbands. "Should we work together to head back into the village?"

"Do we have any other choice?" Sasuke grunted in agreement, he felt his stomach growl. "Brother is probably getting dinner ready."

"We miss lunch and dinner should be starting soon…" Choji stated, his tone made Naruto and Sasuke pause momentarily. They did not like the tone Choji was using or the chaotic atmosphere that appeared around him. "I should be at home helping with dinner."

Naruto and Sasuke suddenly felt themselves being lifted up by their restraints, by one very determined Akimichi. The Uchiha and Uzumaki looked at each other with expressions filled with freight, and they internally cried at their future fates. They screamed as Choji ran off into the woods, carrying both preteens with his own strength.

Naruto blamed Sasuke for mentioning food… Never mention food to a hungry Akimichi.

-.-

Kakashi sat in an old-fashioned bakery with his new genin team, it was approaching evening and it was alright. The first team he ever passed and it felt…strange. He compared the genin to his own team and immediately stopped himself. Team Eight's dynamics are far different yet there are some aspects of them that did remind him of his own.

"What did you just say?" Kiba stood up from his spot, pointing accusingly at Shino.

"K-K-K-Kiba-kun, s-stop. People are staring." Hinata attempted to stop Kiba from making more of a scene than it already it is.

Shino glanced up at Kiba, he played with his tinted glasses making them gleam as if he was challenging Kiba. This made Kiba quiver just a tiny bit, he then complied with Hinata's request to stop. All the while he said a random of things about his friend.

Kakashi eye smiled, a small sweat drop development on the side of his forehead. He has no idea how he is going to go from that point on. After all this is the first genin team he ever passed and he had no intention of ever taking a team…Here he was…with a team…that went silent. More so than the norm, especially when Kakashi picked up the last cinnamon roll. He felt a small surge of killer intent coming from the meek Hyūga.

-.-

Kurenai let out a sigh of relief as her own genin team sat in a quaint tea shop, her genin team agreed to the same location without much of a complaint. She slowly drank her own cup of hot tea, keeping a close eye on the girls. The Jonin couldn't help but be disappointed she did not have Hinata in her team as she has been helping the young girl. Especially after she found out Kakashi is now her instructor… The thought made Kurenai crave for a glass of alcohol.

"Kurenai-sensei?"

"Hm?" Kurenai turned her attention to the one who got her attention. "Yes, Sakura?"

"Are we now officially genin?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"For the hundredth time, Sakura." Akira snorted, she ate an entire stick of dango. "We are now genin."

Sakura sent Akira a frown, she crossed her arms over chest. "I just wanted to make sure."

"Look, we are now officially genin and a team…together." Ino said immediately trying to defuse an upcoming argument. "Or oh so help me…"

With that, Kurenai made a reminder to herself to go look for one of her friends to go out drinking.

-.-

"At least you three are now officially Shinobi of the Leaf." Iruka said with an uneasy smile, he sat with Team Six at Ichiraku Ramen. He was wondering around the village looking for the said team for hours. It wasn't until an hour earlier he found them tied up together and Choji carrying his teammates with a look of complete determination. Iruka quickly got their attention and freed them. The Academy teacher invited them to dinner, on him. The preteens did not need any more motivation to take his offer. "Isn't that what matters in the end?"

"I still say we should get back at Shisui-sensei for what he did to us." Naruto stated, adding in the honorific.

Sasuke grunted in agreement, his mouth was filled with noodles.

"Agreed." Choji agreed as well, adding in multiple items to his own bowl of ramen.

"Seems like we have a little competition for being the most troublesome team out there."

"That would be a hard record to break."

"And a drag."

Walking into Ichiraku Ramen is none other than former Team Raido, Itachi Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi, and Shikamaru Nara. Shikamaru looked at his adopted brother and friends with a praising look. "Shisui told me what he did to you three. Good to see you guys managed to get free."

"You knew…and didn't bother to look for us?" Naruto eyes narrowed in on Shikamaru, pointing his eating utensils at him. Shikamaru ignored the look and sat next to him, he lips did quirk momentarily before they went to his neutral position.

"Shikamaru-kun made Shisui cry when he beat him in shogi… Over thirty times." Kabuto patted Shikamaru's head as he sat next to him.

"Don't remind me, he spent the last hour complaining to me about it." Itachi shook his head at the memory of his distant cousin complaining and crying about losing against Shikamaru in a match of Shogi. It was said Uchiha's fault for even going up against a Nara in a game of Shogi. He promptly sat next to Kabuto and still was shaking his head. "Don't be surprised if he tortures you three tomorrow."

"Are we still going to prank him?" Choji asked his friends.

"Yes, unlike you two…I live with him." Sasuke stated, he inwardly sighed about that fact. Since the Massacre, Shisui had unofficially moved into the main household of the Uchiha Compound with Sasuke and Itachi. The guy has a home at the outer edge of the Compound but Shisui never returned to said location after the event. No one commented about it but complain about unnecessary behavior. "Could we use that to our advantage?"

"Naw…I have a better idea." Naruto grinned nonchalantly, a grin that spoke volumes.

"Care to elaborate, Dobe?" Sasuke asked, nudging Naruto with his shoulder.

"Wha-Munch-he-Slurp-lan?" Choji asked in between bites of his food.

"Nothing…we do nothing. He expects us to do something so in return…we do nothing."

-.-

Sometime later, in the Hokage Tower, standing in front of the Hokage are all the Jonin that took in newly graduated genin's from the academy. To announce whether or not their teams had passed the final test. Several Jonin had announced their teams had failed and said teams were either forced to return to the academy or stop with their dreams of being a Shinobi.

Shisui sneezed, interrupted a random Jonin mid-speech. He paid no mind as he continued to sneeze uncontrollably, by now everyone went silent to stare at him. Once his sneezing came to an end, Shisui rubbed his nose with his sleeve. "Seems like someone is talking about me."

"What is the status of your team, Shisui? Pass or fail?" Hiruzen asked, taking a long puff of his wooden pipe.

"Team Six…Pass." Shisui announced, all the while rubbing his nose with his sleeve. "They are a bunch of little terrors but eh."

"At least I'm not stuck with them…" Someone muttered under his breath. Pay closer attention and it would be noted that it is one of the Hokage's guard that muttered it. No one paid any mind to it though.

"Team Seven?"

"Failed."

"Team Eight?"

"Team Eight Failed."

"Team Nine…? Team Nine…? Kakashi!" Hiruzen looked over at the silver-haired Jonin to see his only visible eye dull. From what? Who knows. "Kakashi!"

"What's the point of asking?"

"It's obvious he failed them, he never once pa-"

"Passed… Team Nine passed." Kakashi said, he eye smiled at the Hokage and ignoring all the looks of shock. The Hokage raised an eyebrow at Kakashi, he swore that the Jonin voice seemed higher pitch and he kept hunching forward. Almost as if he was in pain…

"Team Ten?"

"Failed, they need more time in the academy."

"Team Eleven?"

"Ugh…Failed… Fan-girls…"

"Team Twelve?"

"Pass…. with agonizing colors." Kurenai said with a tired smile.

To be continued…

Oka this chapter was everywhere, something originally had something else planned…but this ended up being it. So yeah…

To be continued...

R/R.

Omake:

"Target in sight, Pineapple head. Do you read me?"

"I can't believe you pulled me into this. Yeah, I read you, Fishcake."

Seven-year old's Shikamaru and Naruto slowly crept closer to a seemingly sleeping Shikaku. They pretended to have radios to communicate with each other. Neither of them saw the smirk that Shikaku has on his lips.

Shikamaru and Naruto continued on moving closer to Shikaku, all the while talking into their radios. They were about a foot away from Shikaku they finally stayed quiet. Naruto reached over to tug on Shikaku's vest when said man spoke. "I'm sleeping."

Naruto and Shikamaru's eyes widen in shock. "Abort mission! Abort mission!"

Fin~


	34. Chapter 34

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki.

-.-

"I think my team is planning something big to use against me."

Itachi looked up from his paperwork to see his good (but annoying) friend, sitting across of him with a serious expression. His eyes momentarily focused on Shisui's closed eye, the one that was taken from years ago. Shisui was not using anything to cover his missing eye but maintained his eyelids shut so no one could see empty eye socket. Itachi only shook his head at the memory of seeing Shisui without said eye for the first time and the reason why said man is there. Memories of the night at Ichiraku came into mind. "What makes you say that?"

"It has been one month since they became my team, one month they had not played a prank against me and one month they have been perfect angels…" Shisui said with a continuous strained voice. "The devils are planning something…I just don't know what."

'Should I tell him?' Itachi thought, wondering if he should tell Shisui about the actual plan. 'Nah…Serves him right.'

-.-

"Another day…another job well done." Naruto sighed with complete relief, he stretched his arms over his head.

"Four D-rank missions…We need to get a C-rank mission soon." Choji stated, munching away on BBQ flavored chips. He glared at his friends when they managed to sneak a few away from him. "Guys…"

"You know the rules, if it doesn't have your name then it's part of the community." Sasuke tutted Choji, swiping a couple of potato chips. Choji snorted at the statement, he extended out the bag of chips towards his friends in a grudging defeat. Sasuke only smirked in response and Naruto took a couple of chips. "Thought so…"

"One of these days…. One of these days." Choji muttered under his breath, munching away on chips.

"What do you guys want to do now?" Naruto asked, shoved his hands in his pockets. He glanced around the road they were walking on; it was one of the least busy of main roads in the village. There were shops, stalls and the occasional tea shop or restaurant. It was mostly a residential area… mostly filled with older people. Said older people shot looks of hate, fear and some actually just appeared to not care. "There are no clouds out today, it's too late for lunch, too early for dinner and training is set for tomorrow."

"It's never too early or too late to eat." Choji stated in a sage-like voice.

"True." Sasuke nodded, agreeing with Choji's words.

"Ramen?"

"BBQ."

"Seafood."

Naruto, Choji, and Sasuke stopped walking, they stared at each other challengingly. All of them wanting to go to a certain restaurant. One wants something and another wants something else. In one instant, all three of them brought out a hand and played a game of rock-paper-scissors.

"Rock-"

"Paper-"

"Scissors!"

"Ramen…" Naruto mumbled out in disappointment seeing that he lost against his friends.

"Shut up." Sasuke said to Naruto, he and Choji shifted just a bit to now be facing each other. They stared in each other eyes and Naruto swore that he could see lightning, fire, and even rocks soaring around them. It only got worse as he got ready for the next game of rock-paper-scissors.

-.-

"What a drag..." Shikamaru grumbled under his breath, taking a scroll and a single file from the Hokage's desk. He did not even bother to "How come I ended up with this mission?"

"You are the one that brought this up and did all the work already." Hiruzen responded he took a short whiff of his wooden pipe. He made it a point to glance at the items that Shikamaru now has in his hands. "The Daimyo sent this to me to have it sort out, personally asking for you to set it straight."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered under his breath, he briefly scanned through the file. Which ended up being a file he had created previously about the current welfare of the Land of Waves during his time under working under the Daimyo. Of course, it would make sense in many ways to do this mission. A simple mission, just taking down a money-hungry businessman. Simple right? No, nothing is that simple. Nothing is ever that simple. The businessman is a secret drug dealer that owns a smuggling business. A business that is taking control of the Land of Waves, that is control purely but blackmail, threats, and murder. "What brought this mission up?"

"A Master Bridge Builder came to the village asking for assistance."

"Let me guess…His name is Tazuna the Master Bridge Builder?"

"…Typical know it all Nara…"

-.-

Shisui hid in the shadows, watching his genin team eating BBQ and his position he could hear them speaking. So far the only thing they spoke about is recent D-Rank missions, family life and what they wanted to eat. Not once did they ever spoke about him. To be more precise, recent pranks. Not once did they talk about recent pranks. This only cause Shisui to be more on edge. He swore they were talking in code, talking about a prank that involved him being the victim. The Uchiha personally knows his genin, and they will always try to play a prank against him. Albeit it would backfire, but still!

In a complete frenzy, Shisui flickered and appeared right next to Team Six table. He slammed his hands onto the table and gave them a crazed look. "I know you three are planning something against me! Tell me! Just do it! I can't' take it anymore…."

Toward the end of the rant, Shisui had fallen to his knees, repeatedly hitting his head against the table and slapping his hands on the table. He had enough and just wanted to get rid of that feeling of constant paranoia. "Please?"

"Paranoid, are you now?"

"Look at him? He looks desperate."

"And pathetic."

Team Six looked at their Jonin instructor with looks of complete lack of sympathy.

"What prank is he talking about again?" Choji asked, looking over at his friends in confusion.

"Dunno, we have been busy with _D-Rank_ missions and training, that we had no time to play childish pranks." Sasuke snorted, giving his distant cousin/instructor a blank look.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto grumbled out, glaring at Sasuke with a glint in his eye. "You have been playing _childish pranks _against us all the time."

"Guys…" Shisui attempted to get his team attention. "Prank?"

"There wasn't a prank per se set against you." Choji said poking Shisui with his eating utensils.

"Eh?"

"Yeah, our prank…Is nothing." Naruto said with a shrug, Shisui swore that the blonde is smirking behind his sluggish behavior. "Absolutely nothing."

"That's our prank against you. Doing absolutely nothing, it's just us watching you grow increasingly paranoid." Sasuke stated, not even bothering to hide his own smirk. "We just sit back and watch as you began to lose your mind over completely nothing."

"Who else knew about this?" Shisui asked, his entire demeanor turned into a complete 180.

"Team Raido." Team Six answered in unison.

Without another word, Shisui stood up and headed out the door. Several minutes had passed when everyone in the establishment heard a scream. A very familiar scream for Team Six.

"How much do you want to bet Shisui-sensei wants us to pull a prank for him?" Naruto asked his friends with an eyebrow raised.

"We'll only help him if we can get a higher rank mission." Choji responded with a shrug. "I'm getting tired of painting fences and chasing Tora."

"Here, here." Sasuke agreed with a curt nod.

-.-

"I don't like this…"

"I know that Zabuza-sama."

"I really don't like this."

"You have been repeating that for the last hour…"

"I'm going to kill him."

"We need the money… Zabuza-sama."

"Still…"

"We will kill him once we have the okay."

"Can I chop off his leg at least?"

"Do you want me to freeze yours off?"

"No…"

To be continued…

R/R.

Omake:

"I think they like each other." Gaara whispered to his older brother.

"Gee…what makes you think that?" Kankuro snorted, rolling his eyes at his younger brother.

Both brothers were hiding behind several crates, watching their older sister walking alongside of their oldest friend. They have been following them for the past hour, under the pretense of protecting their sister. If anyone were to ask them of course, if they get caught. Even if Shikamaru is their best friend, Temari is still their sister first.

"You do know I could still bury you under the sand…"

"We both know you won't do that."

Fin~


	35. Chapter 35

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing. Ryou Yuuki owns Akira Kurotsuki.

-.-

A/N: Characters may be Out of Character. Take note that characters are younger and have different upbringings.

-.-

"Remind me again why we accepted this mission?"

"For the last time…Zabuza-sama… We need the money."

"You know he's right, Zabuza-sama!"

"They are right, Zabuza-sama."

Zabuza Momochi glared at the three shinobi that were put under his charge for their current mission. He was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and matching black pants, striped wrist, and leg-warmers. Bandages wrapped around the bottom half of his face and it's loosely tied around his neck similar to a scarf. Forehead protector tied sideways and has one a giant belt across his chest that holds Kubikiribocho onto it. Typical apparel for Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and at times even Anbu, and the three Shinobi in front of him did not even look remotely like Anbu. Then again, they are not even ranked as such, so that wasn't much of an issue. The main issue is that Zabuza has to play babysitter not only to them but also to that tyrant businessman.

"Zabuza-sama?"

Zabuza glanced over at the one that called his name. It was Haku, his star pupil. If only he could get the teen to kill people and not paralyze or charm his way out from killing them. Haku is only fifteen years old and he already made a name for himself, Haku of the Ice Release. The teen was sitting on a wooden bench; he is wearing the standard Kiri pinstriped outfit that ended over his knees. Over that he has on a green haori with white trimmings and around his waist is a brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped around his waist twice. Instead of the standard Shinobi sandals, he has on a pair of light brown platoon sandals. He has long dark brown hair gathered in a white bun holder and two locks fell loose framing his face. Even if Haku is a male, Zabuza sometimes wonders otherwise. Especially since Haku has a very androgynous appearance. "What?"

"Do you believe we will face difficulty in this mission?"

"Hah! This is Zabuza-sama we are talking about! He will chop up anyone that stands in his way."

Zabuza eyes shifted over towards the youngest of the three brats, the most annoying one of them all. Suigetsu Hozuki. Twelve years of age and already is considered a prodigy in the art of murder. The kid was jumping around grinning at the prospect of killing something. The fact of how he was grinning, showed his pointed teeth added to the intimidation factor. He has straight white hair with a light blue tint that is pulled back in a loose pony-tail wearing a long loose purple shirt, a pair of light gray shorts and dark blue sandals. The sleeves of his shirt were long enough to entirely cover his hands, a belt strapped around his chest that is used to carry a long butcher like sword. "Shut up Suigetsu."

"Ah come on, Zabuza-sama… We have to kill something; this is my first mission out of the village in like forever!" Suigetsu whined, he has stopped jumping around to now stand in front of Zabuza. His eyes widen when a half bitten apple hit him in the back of his head. He turned his attention towards the culprit that threw said half bitten apple at him. It was his and Haku's teammate, Chojuro, the oddball of the group.

"You killed a bunch of bandits while coming over here, Suigetsu." Chojuro whispered he was sitting in the corner of the room; he kept fiddling with a small blade. He has unkempt, shoulder-length pointy blue hair. Wearing a long loose blue pinstripe t-shirt, a pair of dark blue shorts and black sandals. He has his forehead protector tied around his head, using it to push his hair away from his face. On his chest is thick leather holster, which is used to hold one of the famous swords of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Hiramekarei. The sword was propped up next to the wall next to the teen.

The fourteen-year-old is the only one in the room that has Zabuza scratching his head in confusion. One moment Chojuro is completely shy and has no confidence whatsoever. One would wonder how the kid even made it into the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. However, there is a side to the teen that even makes Zabuza, Haku, Suigetsu and the vast majority of the village be extremely wary of him. When he gets serious… Zabuza shivered at the memory of the last time he provoked Chojuro in a previous training match. "And you were under probation because of your last mission."

"Not my fault the client was an idiot…" Suigetsu muttered under his breath, glaring at Chojuro at the corner of his eye. Chojuro entire being stiffened at the glare and pushed himself deeper into the corner of the room.

"Why did I get stuck with your three again?" Zabuza moaned, rubbing his forehead with his left hand in an attempt to ward off an upcoming headache.

"You are my legal guardian and you dragged me with you on this mission, you promised Mangetsu-san to babysit Suigetsu," "Oi! I do not need to be babysat!" "As for Chojuro…" Haku glanced over towards the corner of the room to see Chojuro looking at him curiously. "Lord Mizukage believes he will benefit being around others his age."

"I thought it was because of Chojuro kil…" Suigetsu began to say but saw a glint in Chojuro's eye that made him stop talking and gulp in freight. "Never mind… Forget whatever I said in the first place."

"Whimp."

"We all know you are also terrified of him, Zabuza-sama."

"Shut up, Haku!"

-.-

"Hey…Hey….HEY!"

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, the whites of his eyes appeared to be bloodshot due to not having enough sleep and his pupils were dilated making the blue of his eyes disappear completely. It didn't help that someone is flashing a flashlight into his eyes. With a groan, Naruto buried his head into his pillow. He muffled out a protest at being woken up, but once his mind processed the fact someone is in his room caused his head to shot up. "WHAT THE HELL!"

From there it was a complete domino effect and it was not going to end well for the intruder. Naruto's family immediately went into action, they quickly went to check on Naruto. Shikaku slammed opened the door with Shikamaru by his side and Yoshino behind them. All three ready for whatever was in the room. What they saw is Naruto pushing a pillow onto the face of the intruder, screaming about being woken up at an ungodly hour. Shikaku reached over and flicked on the night and they could fully see who the intruder was. It was Shisui Uchiha. Judging from the fact his arm and leg movement became sluggish that he is losing consciousness.

"Naruto…Stop." Shikaku stated his voice was gruff and scratchy. It sounded like he just came from a night of drinking with his friends. "It's Shisui."

If anything, that caused Naruto to press harder onto the pillow, putting his entire weight into it.

"Naruto!" Yoshino called out sternly, giving him a demanding look. Naruto let out a defeated sigh and relented. He pushed himself away from Shisui, lifting the pillow from his face.

Shisui took in a deep breath once he finally had an opportunity to do so. He blinked multiple times trying to regain his sense. "I saw a light…It was so pretty…"

"Why are you here…at this time of night." Shikamaru asked, making his way into the room. He stood over Shisui, who was still lying on Naruto's bed.

"Training." Shisui replied weakly.

"Who trains at FOUR A.M.?"

-.-

Someone else in the village, two green-clad Shinobi just woke up for another day of training…

-.-

"They don't count. They are not what we consider…_normal_…" Naruto huffed out, hitting the back of Shisui's leg. He raised his hand and gave a short salute towards the roofs tops as he watched Guy and Lee pass by them. In turn, they flashed them a gleaming smile. "They have a strict training routine, which even makes veteran Shinobi cringe in pain."

Shisui thought about it for a moment and then cringed in agreement.

"You already woke up Sasuke and Choji right?" Naruto asked, looking up at Shisui expectantly. Since he lived farthest away from the others and it would make sense of Shisui to get Sasuke first as they live in the same place. Pick up Choji while they headed towards the Nara's main household. Judging from Shisui's expression, that wasn't the issue. "You woke me up first."

"I was in the area…"

"Run."

"What?"

"Run. Now."

"Wouldn't it be too troublesome though?"

"RUN!"

-.-

"Ni-san…"

"Yes, Lee?"

"Should we help Shisui-sensei?"

"What are you talking about? Can't you see how bright their flames of youth are burning!"

As much Lee would normally agree with his adoptive older brother, he could sense the killer intent that spilled out of Naruto at an alarming rate. Then again, from what Naruto had told him about Shisui… this is rather normal. Eh, as long as it does not interrupt his training, then anything goes.

-.-

Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose in complete dismay. Sitting in front of him are Shisui and Naruto, they were both covered with cuts, bruises, and the occasional burn mark. His daughter and son-in-law had woken up telling him of several reports of public distances. That it was all centered around one Shisui Uchiha. Not much of a surprise there, people always complain about him popping in and out of sight. Then there is Naruto, the Hokage wasn't so much surprised Naruto was a part of this. It just that the reason behind it that has him wondering what exactly Shisui did to provoke him. Since his adoption, Naruto had toned down his pranks. Albeit, he still does a prank here and there, but not enough to be brought here to his office by Anbu. Yoshino does a great job by dragging Naruto into his office by his ear to get a formal reprimand.

"He attacked me, Hokage-sama…" Shisui sniffled, pointing at Naruto miserably.

Naruto's eyes shifted over at Shisui before he snorted. "He thought it was a good idea to sneak into my room, woke me up…"

"You then proceeded to suffocate me with a pillow."

"I then proceeded to suffocate him with a pillow, my parents and brother woke up and checked on me."

Hiruzen sank into his chair as he watched Shisui and Naruto explain the events that lead to their current predicament. He started to wonder if it was a good idea to have Shisui be Naruto's teacher, wondering what would have happened if Kakashi was the blonde's teacher. Shaking his head at the thought, that is something he rather not think of about it. It was little less than a miracle that Kakashi actually has an interest in training his team. But that is another story, for another time. "I would have assumed since Team Six have a C-rank mission in a few short hours that you would allow them to rest up. I assumed wrong…"

Naruto slowly lifted his head up towards Shisui's direction, his entire expression typical of a bored Nara. This only caused Shisui to lean away from him with a nervous chuckle. "All in the name of training…"

"I'm going back home now…" Naruto stated, not bothering to wait for a response, he turned around and left the office. No-one stopped him as he walked out of the office, slamming the door behind himself. Several moments later, there was a curt knock came from the door.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal a yawning Shikamaru Nara. "Was there a reason why you sneaked into my brother's room? At this time of night?"

"I needed to get in contact with you." Shisui stated simply. "And I wanted to see if I could sneak into your home. It was a success!"

"My dad was in a drunken state of mind and didn't bother since it was you." Shikamaru explained as he held back another yawn. "I was resting to for my mission today, and like my dad…I didn't bother since it was you. We did react once we heard Naruto screaming, then we had to react. Next time… use the front door."

"Curse you damn Nara's…" Shisui cursed at Shikamaru.

"What exactly you needed to tell me again?" Shikamaru asked him, changing the subject.

"We receive new information that could change everything for your and Team Six Mission." Hiruzen coughed out, getting Shikamaru's attention. He pulled out a file from a drawer from his desk and put it on his desk for Shikamaru to pick up.

Shikamaru picked up the file from the desk with an eyebrow raised. He scanned through the file and this only caused his eyebrow to go higher and higher. "Haven't seen him in a long time… This changes everything again."

-.-

"What happened to you?" Sasuke asked Naruto, who looked completely frazzled, a look that he had never seen on his friend. The Uchiha opened the gate that leads into his home for his friend while raising an eyebrow at the dark orange and forest green rucksack Naruto has slung over him. "Going somewhere?"

"We are going on a C-rank that has us out of the village for utmost a month." Naruto explained while he was taking sandals before entering Sasuke's home. Seeing Sasuke's blank expression, Naruto let out an irritated sigh. "Shisui-sensei received a mission yesterday for us. It involves Team Six guarding a master bridge builder back to his home village."

"How come you know about this? I live with the guy." Sasuke asked taken aback from the information, he took off his own sandals and followed Naruto into his home.

"Don't get me started…" Naruto muttered he was going to say something else when he heard a feminine giggle. This caused him to glance back at Sasuke. "Your brother's girlfriend?"

"If you ask me, it's his girlfriend. If you ask Itachi, it's his _friend_." Sasuke shot Naruto a knowing grin. He signaled for Naruto to follow him to his room. "They are in the kitchen, she is making him breakfast."

Naruto grinned back at him, following Sasuke towards his room. His expression then turned into his neutral one. "Pack up your things; we have to meet with the client at the main gate by noon."

"Choji?"

"We are going to go pick him up once you finish packing your things."

"Shisui is picking up the client."

-.-

Shikamaru jumped from tree branch to tree branch, mentally cursing Shisui for waking him up so early. Typically back when he was still fully part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, he would wake up at earlier hours depending on what is occurring. One of the main things he looked forward to returning home is sleeping. Sleeping longer hours and now here he was, halfway to the Land of Waves. It had been several hours and he had been on the move since he visited the Hokage's office earlier that morning.

The reason Shikamaru is running nonstop is that Team Six is scheduled to leave Konoha that same day, but what came up has him to hurry with his plans. After changing said plans several times, the Nara made the decision of leaving at such an early time and going at such a fast pace. Making several notes of how he saw several puddles of water. Odd considering it hasn't rained in weeks. And….

Shikamaru shortly stopped on a branch and launched himself upwards towards the highest tree he could get up to. Hanging on the highest point of the tree, he looked around the area looking for a place he could take a break. "Ugh… Can't I ever get a breath?"

-.-

"Where is he?"

"Five meters to our left."

"Let's get him then!"

"Kiba-kun, patience…"

Team Nine watched their teacher stand in front of the Memorial Stone for the past hour. No one said or did anything; they simply hid themselves leaving their teacher in his own world. One by one, the genin left to head off towards the meeting point to wait for Kakashi. None of them said a single word; well it was more like forcing the loudmouth to not say anything. The meeting spot is a bamboo gazebo, that overlooked a grassy field.

"Who do you think he's mourning?" Kiba asked he was sitting on the steps of the gazebo, watching Akamaru ran around the field chasing a butterfly.

"We do not ask such questions, Kiba." Shino stated standing next to the railing watching his bugs crawl all over it.

Hinata lightly swayed on the wooden bench swing, she only shook her head at the lack of tact Kiba had. One does not ask such questions; it is after all one of the silent rules of being a shinobi. She kept her gaze out on the grassy field, counting down the time she knew Kakashi will appear to start another day of training. He should be appearing within the next thirty minutes. After having him as a teacher, it did not take long to figure out the pattern of his tardiness. "Thirty-one minutes."

-.-

Kurenai shook her head as she watched her team chased after Tora for the past three hours with little to no luck. It would have been easier but somehow Tora had got itself into a patch of catnip and hell broke loose for the girls. Things would have sailed far more smoothly if they work better together. One would say one thing and someone else would do something else. Now they are covered in scratches and bruises, and nowhere close to finishing the mission.

"Ah, the wonders of having a genin team."

Kurenai glanced back to see Asuma walking up to her and gave him a smile. "Jealous?"

"I previously took on genin teams before I left and after that, I took on two more students. One of them is Shikamaru." Asuma replied with a sly grin, he reached over to take out a cigarette but did not. Especially after Kurenai shot him a warning glance, she didn't like it when he smokes around her. "No smoking?"

"No smoking."

"How come you didn't take a team? You were asked, weren't you?" Kurenai asked Asuma, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I was supposed to take on a team…" Asuma scratched his chin in thoughts, he gave her a sly grin and a wink. Kurenai lightly blushed but quickly regained her composure. "My old man asked me to step down to give the position to Shisui. Something about punishing him, you know how he is."

Kurenai snorted in agreement, she crossed her arms over her chest. Then her expression turned into one filled with thoughtfulness. "He does appear to be in a better mood as of late."

"He now focuses all his attention on his students; let it be good or bad." Both Jonin chuckled in agreement.

-.-

Choji softly closed the door to his home and quickly ran up to his teammates, carrying a canvas backpack with him. His entire expression brightened when he saw his friend, once he stood in front of his friends and swung his backpack on. "At what time are we supposed to meet with Shisui-sensei again?"

"An hour from now."

"C-rank right?"

"Yeah, our first C-rank mission…"

"You never told me what happened to you?" Choji asked Naruto once they all started to head over towards the Main Gate. Naruto let out a sigh, he explained to Choji what had occurred earlier that morning and the reason why he looked like a dead man walking. The Akimichi cringed every now and then at what he was being told. "That's just horrible."

"I know…" Naruto sighed in agreement.

"He's been clingy with us lately…" Sasuke muttered thoughtfully, his brows furrowed in thought. Thinking what had occurred to his relative to have him act as such. As far as he knew, Shisui should not be acting like this for another four months. He should ask Itachi about it later, once he returns back to the village.

"Why didn't he wake you up first?" Choji asked Sasuke, looking at him for some sort of answer.

"Shisui didn't stay with us last night; we thought he stayed in his place last night." Sasuke shrugged. "Now that I think about it… He hasn't been around sin-"

Naruto raised his hands to stop Sasuke and Choji from walking any further. A serious expression etched onto his face. "I feel a disturbance."

"Please don't let it be bullies…" Choji pleaded up to the sky.

"Please don't let it be fangirls…" Sasuke also pleaded up to the sky.

"No… worse… Tora…"

To Be Continued…

R/R.


	36. Chapter 36

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Team Six plus the master Bridge Builder walked along one of the roads towards their destination. Sasuke kept handing out his teammates bandages and healing ointments, they were dealing with the aftereffects of being attacked by Tora… the infamous demon cat. The one that seemed to suffer the most injuries is Naruto, but the more bandages he gets handed to, his wounds already began to heal.

A normal person will question this phenomenon but for them, they knew the reason and won't bother with questioning it. It will lead to unanswered questions and headaches that could be easily avoided.

"I'm regaining feeling in my face again…" Naruto muttered as he patted his face to see if he had any feeling in his face.

"Lucky you…I still can't feel my hands." Choji deadpanned, raising his heavily bandaged hands towards Naruto's direction. He was the unlucky one that had to grab the demon cat from attacking any unsuspecting civilians. Unlike Naruto, he didn't have an advanced healing abilities. Noooo…. He has to wait it out for his wounds to heal.

Naruto gave Choji a placid expression and that only seemed to enrage the Akimichi even more than the norm. So now he is channeling his Nara nature… "What a drag…"

"Don't you dare use that against me!"

"Meh." Naruto stuck out his tongue at Choji before he ran off before the Akimichi could kick him. The blonde pulled a face when he stepped on a puddle of water, he raised an eyebrow at the sight of the said puddle. Far as he knew, it hadn't rain in months and the sun has been beaming down relentlessly. Plus… the water looked off as it moved around. Looking over at Shisui to see the Uchiha giving him a wink and motioned him to continue walking. "Hm…Oi! Sasuke! Do you have any more ointment?"

"…I'm not wasting my supplies on you of all people."

"Jeez… cold."

Shisui listened in as his genin started a new round of hostility that started because one not wanting to share medical supplies. It amused the Uchiha to no end, speaking of being amused…

Shisui walked closer to Tazuna and wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders to bring him closer to himself. In a lower whisper and his smile never leaving his lips. "Tell me again what and who we are going up against?"

"…Crap…"

-.-

"Once Shikamaru was put under my care, everyone went to me to complain about his supposed attitude." Asuma grunted out over a bottle of beer, he, Shikaku, Itachi, and Choza were at a local bar which was operated by retired shinobi. The place was created to allow individuals and small groups privacy. "Once I figured out what made him motivated, and do his work, things got better. Fewer people bother me about him."

"Typical. From what he told me, Shikamaru made more enemies than friends over there." Shikaku snorted, he looked down at his drink to look at his reflection. "I'm surprised he actually did it. He came a long way…I would have expected this from you, Itachi."

"I was offered to become a Twelve Guardian Ninja… but I refused for…obvious reasons." Itachi shrugged, he poured himself a cup of hot tea into his cup. He poured Choza a cup of tea as well when the man motioned for the kettle.

"Thank you." Choza thanked Itachi, he raised his cup of tea up towards his lips and drowned it down in one gulp. He slammed the cup down on the table and looked over at Asuma. "What's the reason you brought us here?"

Asuma placed the bottle of alcohol in front of himself and looked around the table before he spoke. "I am going to be working closely with Team Six. While Shisui will be their primary sensei, I will occasionally do his duties as sensei to the Team. As you know…"

"This is a trail for Shisui, isn't it." Shikaku stated, he already knew the reason behind Shisui's reason to be his son's sensei. Having first hand read the reports and knowing the reason for it to occur.

"I have wondered why Lord Hokage placed him in such a position. I had assumed it was some cruel and unusual punishment towards Sasuke, Naruto, and Choji. Even Shisui for the hell of it…"

Despite how odd that sounded, the men did agree that would have been a very plausible reason why Shisui was made a Jonin Instructor towards a new batch of genin. Especially considering who said genin are.

"…That may be one of the reasons…" Asuma sweatdropped, he shook his head and his entire expression turned serious as he continued on. "Anyway… Shisui is on trial."

"Trail?" Choza and Shikaku asked, the latter actually did not know about this.

"Shisui still hasn't been able to fully recuperate from his time in Root, Anbu, and the Massacre." Itachi said in a low tone, his cup close to his lips. "He has one year to prove whether or not he is mentally capable of proceeding as Shinobi of the Leaf. I will not have him go down a dark path before we can get him help."

Ah… that. Mental and emotional wounds. Wounds that are left unsaid and not heal as physical ones. A topic not many talks aloud but it is an epidemic, an extreme silent epidemic.

"If there is ever a time I deem Shisui incapable of being Team Six's Jonin Instructor, I am to step in and take over."

-.-

Kabuto relentlessly looked through medical text after medical text. He kept comparing what he found to Itachi's medical files and nothing was adding up. When many of the symptoms were familiar to one thing, he would pull out another text and continue on from there.

'I know it has to do with his lungs… Perhaps it could be TB… no, then there would have been an outbreak of that… Hm…' Kabuto thought as he turned page after page to hopefully find an answer to his questions. 'There is a history of bronchitis and a case of…'

Kabuto slammed the book he was reading shut and ran over to an older text that contained a medical history of the Uchiha Clan. 'Just as I thought… hemoptysis runs in the family. Severely so… perhaps… I'm looking at it from a wrong perspective.'

To be continued…

R/R.


	37. Chapter 37

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"He's how old?"

"He's actually four years older than Kisame. Yagura has a fifteen-year-old kid and she looks older than him."

"Damn… Is it true he's the new Mizukage?"

"Yeah, he became one around a year after that last Chunin Exams. He was actually a Jonin under the guise of a genin for the exams… the temporary Mizukage at the time didn't trust Kisame or myself on our own so…"

"They sent him in to ensure you two didn't do anything stupid."

"Yep."

"…Typical…"

Shikamaru and Zabuza sat in front of a burning fire, both had their eyes closed as they sip their tea slowly. Suigetsu watched the scene before him in complete befuddlement. Team Zabuza, (Haku came up with the name against Zabuza's judgment) had decided that Haku and Chojuro would go get intel on the group that was currently protecting the Master Bridge Builder, while Suigetsu is to stay behind to ensure he doesn't blow their cover.

As much Zabuza hated the plan, he agreed. Considering he doesn't like being around the kid, (it mainly had to do with the fact the kid keeps trying to steal Kubikiribōchō)… the kid is far to kill happy and Chojuro is up to his wit's end with the kid.

While Zabuza and Suigetsu were setting a small camp and waited for the others to return with information, was when it occurred…

An oh so familiar shiver ran up Zabuza's spine. One he hasn't felt since he first took the Chunin Exams at Suna. He stood up and looked around the area trying to figure out what was the reason for the reason of the shiver, it even got Suigetsu to be on his guard believing they were going to be attacked at any angle. It was then Zabuza realized the camp fire's shadow was acting odd and then… it ran up towards him and Suigetsu.

The exact moment Zabuza was caught by the fire's shadows, he knew why he felt that familiar sensation that had ran down his spine… he would have ran off without even looking back. But no… not now.

Walking out of the shadows is none other than Konoha's Shadow Walker, Shikamaru Nara.

All he said is simple sup and threw a scroll at Zabuza. Since the man was still trapped under the Nara's shadow, the scroll hit his face and causing the man to glare at the twelve-year-old. Some swearing later, along with a string of curses… Zabuza was released and he read the scroll and grumbled at the information. He told Suigetsu that attacking or killing Shikamaru, and now they are drinking tea all the while reminiscing.

"How the hell did Yagura manage to send out the information?" Zabuza questioned the Nara as he reached out with a rag to grab hold of the kettle that hung on a spit over the fire. "I know the last thing he wants is to deal with you tree huggers, especially considering the place is still trying to distance itself from any places that hold strong…bloodlines."

Shikamaru looked up at Zabuza with his signature bored expression. "We found information on that temporary Mizukage of yours and we traded it for Gato's whereabouts along with other crap. I did my homework on this guy… apparently, the guys has unsavory dealings with both Lands of Water and Fire…From smuggling drugs, weapons, contraband, and from what I gathered… there are talks of him planning on opening a bathhouse… if you catch my drift."

"Whatever you want us to do, we'll do it."

"Do you actually believe this guy, Zabuza-sensei!" Suigetsu exploded, not understanding what was happening in front of him. "How do you even know him!"

Zabuza reached into his pouch, pulled out a bingo book and threw it at Suigetsu. He watched as the kid fumbled to grab hold of the book. Once it was not at risk of falling into the fire, Suigetsu skimmed through the portion of the book that contained bingos from the Land of Fire. An eyebrow raised later, the genin looked at the page he just found and compared it to the kid in front of him. With a snort, he looked over at Zabuza with a questioning expression. "This can't be real."

"It is. Believe me. I've seen him in action several years ago and the kid is the real deal." Zabuza grunted, memories resurfacing and that made him sour. "Ugh… I can't deal with this shit right now."

"Zabuza-sama!"

Zabuza turned to see Haku running towards the campsite, carrying an unconscious Chojuro over his shoulder. "Oh, Kami…what the hell happened this time!"

Haku was going to say something but he saw an unfamiliar face and when he recognized the face from a bingo book, he went on the defense. However, Zabuza waved off his concerns when he demanded once more what had occurred. "We were spotted and we came under attack by them… before we could leave… Chojuro bloodlust came over him."

Shikamaru paled. He had heard of Kiri Shinobi being known for slipping into episodes of bloodlust, killing everyone in their way in order to gratify their thirst of blood. Considering someone who clearly went on an episode… and around his brother. "Did he kill anyone?"

"No. I stopped him before that could occur."

-.-

"I can't feel my arm…" Naruto hissed out as he watched Sasuke apply ointment to his wound on his arm. If the enemy had sliced just a bit to the left, he would have sliced an artery. Even with his healing abilities, Naruto doubted he would be able to survive that. "What is that stuff?"

"I'm numbing your arm, I have to stitch this up…" Sasuke snapped at Naruto, carrying his own brand of wounds but not as severe as his teammates.

"Didn't you just start learning to do that?" Choji pipped up.

"That's why I numbed the area."

Shisui ran a hand through his hair and wondered what happened and how it went wrong.

Earlier, once it was confirmed what exactly is going on in the Land of Wave, the team stayed firm on helping the old man with the construction of the bridge. Then they caught wind they were being followed. Out came out a disheveled Kiri fifteen-year-old shinobi that looked to be…

Shisui didn't want to remember his expression. The only word he could use to describe it is… lust. Lust for blood. Even with his Sharingan, Shisui was having problems following him and it was clear the kid is a powerful kenjustsu user. Even if the enemy's main objective is the bridge builder, he had no qualms of killing everyone just to get to his target.

What terrified Shisui, even more, is the fact the Kiri Shinobi was using a simple katana opposed to Hiramekarei that was still strapped to his back. The Uchiha held his head as he attempted to keep his lunch in his stomach. Too much use of the Sharingan was starting to weigh against his body, he felt immense pressure starting to build around his head focusing around his eyes and then towards the back of his head. Without a second thought, Shisui fell to his knees and puked.

"Shisui/Shisui-sensei"

To be continued…

R/R


	38. Chapter 38

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Shisui groaned out in pain, he attempted to open his eyes but all he was met was with darkness. It was then he realized he had bandages wrapped around his eyes that ensured what was being used to ensure he didn't open his eyes stayed in place. "What's… going on?"

"Don't move. You were crying tears of blood."

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah. Don't open your eyes until I tell you, I'm going to check your eyes again." Sasuke stated as he reached over and began to undo Shisui's bandages. He was extra careful with cotton patches that were used to cover his cousin's eyes. The younger Uchiha took note with slight delight that the patches were slightly bloody and it was dry. The previous time he changed it, the patches were covered in blood and now it appeared the bleeding is beginning to stop. "You know it's sad that I'm far to used doing this."

"…Itachi?"

"He thinks Izumi is the one that's doing it as she was always there when he wakes up, but I'm the one that finds him… he still won't tell me what's wrong with him." Sasuke murmured, he took out a canteen and a rag. He opened the canteen and poured water onto the rag before he started to clean Shisui's eyes. "Don't tell him I know. I know he's worried about me."

"Of course… where am I?"

"We are on a boat."

"….is that slang?"

"No. We are actually on a boat."

"Ah…"

Sasuke slowly took in as he and the others on the boat watched Shisui leaned over what assumed to be the side of the boat to puke into the water. Fortunately for everyone, he landed his target. "Seasick?"

"Ugh…"

"That's just nasty."

"I think I'm going to lose my own lunch now…"

-.-

Zabuza resisted the urge to murder the midget but had to remind himself that he had to get through with the plan that was placed upon and his team. Gato is ranting on and on how his supposed team should have murdered the Bridge Builder along with the Konoha Shinobi.

"We'll get them at the bridge."

"You better… or you are not getting paid!"

"Why you…!" Zabuza seethed out as he watched Gato attempted to attack him. Luckily for Gato, Haku intercepted and broke the man's wrist all the while smiling.

Gato let out a cry of pain, he managed to get his arm away from Haku and began to cradle it. "Just you wait until I inform your leader! I'll make sure none of you will ever be able to work again!"

"Keep talking… it'll only want us to kill you more…" Chojuro muttered under his breath, his eyes seemed to glaze over. It caused everyone in the room to shiver in fear and take a couple of steps away from him.

"We really need to help him get over his bloodlust…" Suigetsu whispered to Haku, who only shook his head but agreed nevertheless.

-.-

Naruto couldn't help but wonder what caused one man to do what this…Gato did to this small village. It was obvious this place is massively poverty-stricken, prices on produce is on the high and what is available is not even worth the amount in ryo. A small tug interrupted his thoughts, Naruto turned to see a young girl who looked like she hadn't eaten in days, eyes that seemed that will haunt the blonde for the end of his days.

It reminded the Uzumaki of his time before he was taken in by the Nara Clan.

"Food?"

Naruto reached for his pack and pulled out another pack that he knew contained food. Putting the original pack back around himself, and promptly opened the smaller one. Once opened it revealed nutrition bars, small pieces of wrapped candy and other goodies needed for survival. Turning around, he saw how there were now a bunch of kids in a similar state as the girl. Taking in a deep breath he wondered how he was going to divvy up the food.

Crinkle, crinkle, crinkle.

Naruto turned around to see Choji pulling out packs after packs of food that caused him to sweatdrop at the sight before him. "Er…"

"What? They need it more than myself. We'll just go hunting around the village. Dad taught me how to hunt. I saw deer and hares earlier, we can hunt for food."

-.-

"What."

"The."

"KAMI! Shikamaru what are you doing here!"

Once everything was done in the village, picking up merger groceries, Tazuna leads the Leaf Nin to his home. Opening his door, and what they saw is a twelve-year-old drinking tea with the Bridge Builder's daughter and grandson.

Shikamaru looked over to see Team Six, Shisui and Tazuna looking at him with varying looks of astonishment or mass confusion. "What? I have a mission that has me at this area of the wo… what happened to your arm, Naruto?"

"Er…Would you look at that… an escaaaaaaape…. Damnit." Naruto attempted to make his escape through the front door but he wasn't able to move his feet. Looking down answered the question of why he wasn't able to make a quick getaway. Of course, he got caught by his own shadow. "Well… there goes my escape record."

-.-

"I can't believe you allowed yourself in this position, Yagura-sama." Ao stated to the Mizukage as said individual scanned through paperwork that needed to be done for the day. "Trying to make dealings with the Leaf."

"At this point, getting rid of that asshole I have to use every trick in the book to get rid of him." Yagura started with a tired tone, he rubbed his forehead as he tried to drown out the turtle inside of him that kept yapping on and on about naps. "I don't want to work with the Leaf, but I rather not have this tyrant continue on his tirade any longer."

"…Tch. Tyrant?"

"…wrong choice of words, but it stands." Yagura grunted, he pushed his work away from his and ran his hands through his hair. Unwanted memories swarmed through his mind and all of it was something that wasn't even his doing. "I… I can't believe I allowed myself to be under a trance for that long."

"That is why I am here, to ensure it won't happen again."

Yagura huffed out, his cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "I know. Do you know how hard it is to get some sort of privacy with you around?"

"I know. Long as we keep you safe from any Uchiha… I know I'm doing my job."

Yagura rolled his eyes, he leaned back in his seat and contemplated on how he became Mizukage. It wasn't so much he wanted to become the leader of Kiri, it as the fact he was under a genjutsu throughout his reign and once it became evident what was happening but even them… he had to be careful.

The masked man that put him under a genjutsu, killed his wife and their daughter was in danger.

It took some time but everything got better once it was announced his early retirement the upcoming year. Picking someone that the people will follow and lead this place to success.

To get rid of the mantle of the Bloody Mist.

Unfortunately, the mission that could possibly lead to that path could be massively deterred and take more time for this to work.

Team Zabuza.

Haku of the Ice Release. The kid was taken in by Zabuza when his parents…met a rather unfortunate end and was taken in by the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Since then, Haku has been taken care of and trained by Zabuza. Half the time Yagura wondered who is raising who at this point in time. At this point, Haku may be the only that has a calm head on his shoulders, but it's clear without him there, the rest will fall.

Suigetsu Hozuki, already living up to the name of the Second Coming of the Demon. Rather ironic considering the brat has an older brother that is currently a Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and gets named after another. It mainly has to do with the fact the kid is a prodigy in the art of murder… the kid is on probation for killing or maiming people he shouldn't be… okay, at this point, the kid had a good reason for killing said people, but it was the fact he keeps leaving his victim unrecognizable to the point it was becoming difficult to claim any rewards or show proof of whom was killed…

The last one… Chojuro. Yagura had seen his case time after time, after time. Chojuro's bloodlust is taking hold of him and he needs to learn to reign it in. The reason for putting Chojuro under Zabuza's care is to hope to have the man scare the shit out of Chojuro just enough to snap him out of it or to harness that bloodlust. Apparently, Zabuza isn't scary enough… Hm…

"Knock, knock~"

Yagura and Ao looked up to see the door open and a familiar face popped in. Mei Terumi, the future Mizukage. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything in here?"

Mei took note at of how Yagura was examining her. "What? We both know I'm not your type."

"You're scary… intimidating…"

"Sadistic…"

Mei began to smile, but it looked tense and kept twitching uncontrollably. "Is there a reason why you two are saying such lies?"

"If I can get you a date with Zabuza, would you consi-"

"I'll do it."

"You didn't even lis-"

"Long as I can get a date with him."

-.-

"What the hell do you know about me? I'm different from you. You are always clowning around and acting so cheerful, you don't know how hard life can be."

Everyone sitting around the table watched on as he yelled at Naruto after said a comment that seemed to aggravate the kid to no end.

Naruto picked up a clothed napkin and wiped his mouth with it. He then looked over at Inari with serious eyes and with a steady voice he said. "Sissy. There's no use in crying over tragedy after tragedy, if you want to become a star in this continue on crying. I may act like a clown, always carrying a smile on my face and it's a façade. Up until I was around five or six, I didn't have parents. My birth parents are no shows and for some fucked up reason, right about everyone hated me in the village. I got treated like crap for something I recently found out and it made me realize something… crying isn't going to get me anywhere. I may complain here and there, but never once when it has to do with how I was treated by others. I looked beyond it and-"

"You pranked them." Shikamaru coughed out.

Naruto snapped his head towards Shikamaru's direction. "Really? Really? I had this speech all and ready, and you just…"

Naruto huffed, he stood up and placed the napkin on top of his place. He turned his direction of Tsunami and gave her a curt bow. "Thank you for your food. I'm going to go out and train for a bit."

Without another word, Naruto walked out of the home and presumably out towards the forest that surrounding the home.

Shikamaru let out a sigh as he turned his attention towards Inari. "The last time Naruto cried was when my parents adopted him into our family and saw he was given his own private room. Before then, he lived in an orphanage and was treated like…"

The Nara took in a deep breath before he continued. "His life is an actual tragedy and he refuses to live it as such. You want to know what's his goal in life?"

"Wh-what is it?" Inari asked out in half a whisper.

"He wants to become Hokage. To ensure no one else lived through what he lived… well… this is his work dream job, but his actual dream is to be the world's top ramen eater… but mom convinced him that's not an actual job but I digress… Naruto, despite the fact he may appear happy and act like a clown, deep inside a part of him is holding his dark memories. Memories of events that occurred to him throughout his entire life that was completely out of his control. He learned to no longer cry over it as no matter how much one cries, he knew someone else out there… someone has it worse off than him. In turn, Naruto saves his tears for them. To him, he would fight until no more to ensure no one else cries for something that was out of their control."

-.-

"Here I am again…" Naruto huffed out as he once against appeared in the sewer. The last time he had come here was when he found out he was a jinchuriki. It looked different from then, the water isn't as high as before, and the lights were just lit enough so that he could be seen several yards ahead of him to oppose to a couple of feet. "Should I go forwards or stay put?"

A loud whine of metal sliding against metal grated Naruto's ears making him flinch. "Keep moving forward it is then."

To be continued…

R/R.


	39. Chapter 39

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"What do you mean you guys already know the tree walking exercise?"

"Shikamaru taught us."

"Water walking!"

"He also taught us that move too."

"…" Shisui stared at his genin team, wondering what he should teach them while they are on break from helping Tazuna building the bridge. He thought he might as well train them for whatever comes up for this mission. Team building exercises are out as the three grew up together and learned to work in a three-man cell. They apparently do know the simplest of exercises when it comes to raise or control one's chakra. "Okay… how about this… if you guys choose between the tree or water walking exercises for the rest of the day, I'll write down some jutsu's for you guys to learn."

"Fine."

"Cool."

"Can we go hunting instead?"

"…. Just get some training in."

-.-

Shisui zipped through the trees to look for the location Shikamaru had told him to meet at. He did not know the Nara was going to end up in the area, and apparently, there is far more to what is happening than what meets the eye… once again. He swore whenever Shikamaru makes an appearance, some sort of conspiracy comes to light and he is always there to solve it. However, it appears that he already solved it before it even began.

Arriving at the location, Shisui couldn't help but feel sort of annoyed at seeing the Nara laying in the middle of an opening. By the looks of it, he's napping. With a frown, the Uchiha appeared next to Shikamaru and stomped on the twelve-year-old with little to no remorse. At the second stomp, the Nara poof out of existence to reveal it was a clone. "Of course it's a clone…"

"Jeez… what's your problem?"

Shisui turned towards the edge of the clearing to see Shikamaru hanging upside down on a branch, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. "Why did you leave a clone in plain view?"

"And take the chance of you beating me up… no thanks." Shikamaru stated he rubbed his stomach at the memory of having his stomach being stomped on. "What did you have the other do?"

"I left them doing chakra exercises."

"…uh huh."

"Or they could be hunting for lunch and dinner. That works too. What did you want to tell me?"

Shikamaru swung himself upright on the tree to jump down back to the ground. He stretched out his arms while letting out an audible yawn before he turned around to face Shisui. "Remember the Kiri nin your team went up against your team?"

At the mention of what had occurred to himself and his team previously made the Uchiha frown inwardly. His genin team were not ready to go up against whomever they were pit against, even if the enemy was a kid himself, the line between them all is clear. "Yeah. What about them? Do you anything on them?"

"Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, is leading a team that is composed of a genin, a Sp. Jonin and a chunin that is currently apprenticing to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. They are currently guarding Gato and doing his bidding in the meanwhile. Their current target is the bridge builder via command of the client." Shikamaru explained whom exactly they are supposedly going up against.

"Zabuza Momochi? The same Zabuza Momochi that you guys went up against at your first chunin exams?"

"Yes. Him"

"What about them, then?" Shisui started to feel uneasy, that feeling only seemed to intensify when he felt an unfamiliar presence starter to head towards their location. "Is that…?"

"We traded information and ended up with a compromise. Hokage and Mizukage want Gato out of the picture, he's too much of a threat to allow to live and this is a good opportunity to create ties between both villages." Shikamaru stated, he didn't bother to turn around when that unfamiliar chakra signature made its appearance. "Where's your team, Zabuza?"

"Knowing them, probably spying of that genin team Haku and Chojuro ran into the other day." Zabuza gruffs out, he kept his eyes on Shisui. It was clear both Shinobi were tense at the sight of the other and were not going to allow their guard to go down any time soon. They both read the other profile in bingo books and what had occurred previously with their respected teams. "Out of all the Jonin in that village of yours, I would have never pegged Shisui of the Body Flicker to lead a group of green eared genin."

"The same thing could be said to you, Demon of the Hidden Mist."

"What a drag. Could the both of you just cut it out already? We need to come up with a plan that we all agree on."

At that Zabuza snorted that was followed with Shisui giving the Nara a deadpanned expression. "We both know, you mean, you are going to come up with a plan and expect us to follow through with it."

"What? Do you guys have any better ideas let alone know what's going on?"

"…This is the chunin exams all over again."

-.-

Naruto stretched his arms over his head before he let out a loud sigh. It's been several hours since Shisui-sensei had put him and the other to train on their own, now they were taking a break from several hours of hard work. The blonde decided to go on his own to look for a quiet place to take a nap, feeling the need to nap overwhelm him.

It was that time of day.

Finding a seemingly empty meadow, Naruto looked around the area to find the perfect napping spot. Once he found it, he plopped himself down and made himself cozy. Closing his eyes, he allowed his mind to wander off…

-.-

Naruto opened his eyes to find himself back in the sewer. Looking around the place, he saw that the place wasn't exactly flooding with water, but the water ran through the cracks in random spurts. Comparing to how it was before, it was far better…if only if that flickering light could decide whether it was going to stay on or off.

After being told what he contained within himself, Naruto attempted to make as view visits to this place to a bare minimum. That was actually easier said than done. It appeared every time the Uzumaki found the time to nap, he always ends up back here. Just like many other times, right back where he wanted to avoid.

The fork in the road.

One tunnel Naruto always avoided the one that called out to him. The other is the brightly lit one that seemed to scream to him he should go through there. He looked back and forth between both tunnels, wondering which one he should take. It has gotten to the point, that perhaps he should take the dark eerie path instead of the other one.

Maybe it'll be a different outcome.

-.-

Haku walked through the forest in his pink kimono and a basket in hand. Despite the fact he should be watching the others, he needed to look for herbs to make medical salves and other random projects he had in mind. This resulted in having Suigetsu watching over Chojuro, well it was more like the other way around but same thing. At that thought, Haku wandered through a forest where he had seen contained the herbs he is currently looking for.

As Haku foraged, he took note of three chakra signatures towards the other end of the forest, very familiar chakra signatures. They were the same ones he and Chojuro came across the other day in that one-sided battle. Looking out in that direction, Haku wondered how they are holding up from that encounter. After hearing what that Leaf Shinobi told Zabuza-sama, his thoughts wandered off on the possible alliance between Kiri and Konoha.

Even if it was a long shot, the possibilities seemed to result in endless possibilities.

Haku suddenly felt one of the chakra signatures seemed to shift rapidly. Against his better judgment, he made his way to that single chakra signature.

-.-

"Oh… This would explain a lot…"

Staring through the iron bars that is part of his jail cell, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Kyubi stared down at his jailer, his grin only seemed to grow as the kit eyes seemed to widen in realization. "About time you come down to visit…"

Naruto stared at the giant fuzzball that apparently resided in him. After so many conversations with his adopted father, the Third, and Shikamaru, Naruto never expected to see the supposed demon himself. With a snort, Naruto put on a lazy expression that would make any Nara proud. "You know how much of a drag it has been with you being stuck in me? A lot."

"Excuse me! Like I wanted to be in here!"

"…Touché."

"…You might want to wake up. We have company." Kyubi stated as he watched the blonde eyes widen monetarily before he saw him disappear from sight. With that, the Nine-Tailed fox made himself comfortable once more, the kit still has no clue what happens during the times he blacks out. Let's see how much longer it will take until then.

To be continued…

R/R.


	40. Chapter 40

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Haku, for the longest time, did not fear death. If anything, at some point in his life he would have welcomed it with open arms after living in the streets after seeing his father murder his mother. A very low point in his life, but after meeting Zabuza… his viewpoint on death changed. He no longer welcomed death in that manner, now he is more than willing to die to just die.

Haku is willing to die for the man that saved him.

Right now, Haku knew a new fear. Whatever is behind those red slit eyes that seemed to burrow into his very own soul. Screaming out a promise of death isn't swift and just right down painful… it was not human.

"What are you…?"

"What do you mean? When did you get here? How did I get here? Who are you?"

Haku fell backward, his basket tumbled over for all its content to spill all around. Looking up to see Naruto's eyes are no longer looked like a demonic fox, but his apparent natural sky-blue hue. "Wh-what are you?"

Naruto took several steps back away from Haku, recognizing the look of fear on his face and he knew all too well that look of fear as he grew up seeing it along with several other ranges of emotion. "Er… a knucklehead?"

"…I already figured that out."

-.-

Suigetsu wondered how much longer Chojuro is going to allow his bloodlust to continue on. Normally a lot of kids back of Kiri that are born with that innate taste of blood usually grow out of it by this point or at least have far more control of it. Like himself!

For example, at least he isn't sneaking his way down to the training green eared leaf sh… "What the hell Chojuro!"

Suigetsu attempted to sneak after Chojuro, trying to get his older teammate to back off. Judging by the fact how demonic like chakra began to surround the Apprentice of the Hidden Mist Swordsmen. This is exactly what he was talking about!

-.-

Choji had decided that he should at least practice the walking on water exercise. Mainly to raise his chakra levels, he's going to need it to keep up with Sasuke and Naruto. When the Akimichi heard that he was put on the same team with his friends, he knew trouble was coming. It was clear the team is all about being a frontal assault team. Choji knew his family techniques are better suited along the side of a Yamanaka and a Nara. It has always been like that. Now… he has to learn to adapt to fighting alongside his teammates/friends. Luckily for him, Choji grew up alongside them and know their strength and weaknesses.

Now if he co-

SPLASH!

Choji felt the air sucked right out of when he felt something, or someone slammed into him and fall right into the river he was training in. Looking around, he managed to see what slammed into him. Sasuke? Choji accidentally swallowed water when his teammate continued to push him further into the water. He was going to fight back when the Akimichi saw a familiar shadow fly past the two.

Pupils dilated at the familiar sight. Choji kept taking in water as panic began to set in. Fortunately for him, Sasuke pulled them out of the water and both struggled to breath at this point. Sasuke punched Choji against his chest in an attempt to help him breathe again, all the while pulling him up towards the water's surface. They needed to get on the stable ground and the only safe bet at this point is the river itself.

Choji coughed out the water as he gained his footing, he looked ahead to see the same teenager from before. The demonic chakra that is oozing around him, eyes that appear soulless, and that bandaged sword that massively packs a punch. "Da-damn it…"

"You let your guard down, Choji." Sasuke hissed at Choji, he pulled out a kunai and kept his eyes on their opponent. If only he had unlocked the Sharingan so that it will give him an edge. It was obvious to anyone that they are currently no match to the teen and they are going to need everything they have in their arsenal to get out of this alive.

Choji coughed out water in response, he looked around the area hoping the guy in front of them is their only opponent. His eyes widen when he saw someone else semi-hidden in the trees. "Uh… there's someone else in the trees."

When Choji said this, the spot where he spotted another possible opponent shuddered at the fact they got caught. Irritation filled within him when no one came out, they are either looking for an opening or allowing the guy in front of them to do all the work. Or maybe… just maybe… they are just terrified of him. "Any plans?"

"…I have one…" Sasuke whispered, he made sure he has a tight grip on Choji before he made a move. "RUN AWAY!"

"Ah…ack!" Choji let out a gurgle when he felt Sasuke had a tight grip on his scarf and is choking him unintentionally. "Ca-can't b-breath!"

"No time for breathing. More runn-"

Slap!

Sasuke and Choji ran into a giant slab of ice, it caused them to lose their concentration and slip back into the shallow water. When did that get there?

"Chojuro. Stand down." Someone called out from the slab of ice.

The Akimichi and Uchiha looked up at the giant slab of ice to see another familiar figure's reflection on it. One gulped while their other gritted their teeth when the figure began to come out of the mirror. An actual person walking out of a giant mirror-like ice slab… who are they dealing with exactly?

-.-

"Crud, crud, crud, CRUD!" Naruto gasped out, running through the forest in hopes of finding his teammates alive. Apparently, Haku has this really cool bloodline that allows him to manipulate ice. Out of nowhere, the Ice Release user jumped into an ice mirror stating one of his teammates is going against orders… and that he is attacking Choji and Sasuke. With that in mind, the Uzumaki, Nara raised is currently trying to figure out how to help them and no matter what he does is panic continues to set in as memories of the previous fight began to resurface.

Naruto raised his hand towards to the now fully healed injury he had gotten from that fight. Gulping, the blonde sped forward to get to him team hoping he isn't too late.

-.-

"Damn… What the hell is he?" Shikamaru muttered under his breath, his expression grim at the sight before him. He and Zabuza were hidden away as they watched the showdown between Ice User and Kenjustsu User. Both of them are on a league of their own sure, but it was clear they were both had their disadvantages against each other. The Nara couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow upward when he saw the third teammate get away from his hiding spot and motioned for Choji and Sasuke to follow him. By the looks of it, to get them out of the way of the fight.

"Bloodlust. He still hasn't fully reigned it in quite yet."

"Yet?"

"…I said he still hasn't_ fully _reigned it in." Zabuza snorted, he was on edge and ready to move at a moment. He knows Haku could take care of himself, but this is a kid that has one of Kiri's legendary swords. A kid whose only intent right now is to kill. "I'm debating on just handing him off to someone to scare the shit out of him. He still hasn't met anyone that could put that fear into him."

"…"

"Don't you say it."

"You're losing your touch."

"Shut up!"

To be continued…

R/R.


	41. Chapter 41

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

Haku narrowed his eyes at his opponent, he pulled out several more senbon and threw them out at Chojuro to only have the teen use his weapon to wipe them away from himself. The longer the fight drew out, the more bloodlust Chojuro is accumulating and it's only getting worse. Luckily, the Leaf Nin managed to get away from the fight before they could be seriously injured. "Chojuro, snap out of it!"

Chojuro only seemed to smirk viciously, his sharp teeth shining menacingly and Haku swore the other is creating a demon out of their own chakra.

"Zabuza-sensei is seriously losing his touch…" Haku deadpanned, jumping up towards the sky to avoid getting decapitated. Once in the air, he pulled out several kunai that have seals on them and threw them downwards. The moment they encountered Chojuro's weapon and person, they let out a shockwave that momentarily paralyzed him. This was enough of an opening for Haku to throw two senbon needles at Chojuro and they lodged themselves into his neck, making him go into a near-comatose state until the needles were removed.

Landing on the side of the river, Haku let out a sigh as he watched Chojuro drop into the river face first. Cursing under his breath, he quickly retrieved the bloodthirsty idiot before he drowns. Then again… "Suigetsu, retrieve Chojuro."

Not even a second later, a frantic Suigetsu ran out of his hiding spot to get Chojuro out of the water before he would be on the receiving end of Haku's wrath. "Dammit, four-eyes! Why do you keep maiming people! I grew out of that last year!"

"No, you didn't."

"..." Suigetsu bit back his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything back. He jumped into the river, sawm to Chojuro and pulled him towards the shore. Looking over at the general direction where he hid the two leaf genin, raising his free hand to call out to them when he suddenly was dunked into the river. "Gah!"

"Sasuke! Choji! Where are you guys!" Naruto called out as he landed on Suigetsu who was pushed back into the river, flapping his arms around as he was taking in water.

"I don't get paid enough for this…" Haku muttered under his breath.

-.-

Shikamaru ignored Zabuza's crazed expression that was throwing at him. "Not one word."

"Your brother is a moron."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the fact karma bit back at him. "Whatever let's head over. Might as well tell them of the plan so that there won't be any confusion down the line."

"Ugh… do we have to? A couple of more minutes or until the brat stops moving."

"Move or I'll make you move."

"Buzzkill." Zabuza huffed out, he stood up and headed down towards the location of his team with Shikamaru following him.

-.-

Sasuke rubbed his temples as he attempted to take in what Shikamaru and… Zabuza is saying to his team and the latter's own team. At this point, he has no clue who is friend or foe. "We have to work… with them?"

"Oi! You make it sound like a bad thing?" Suigetsu frowned, offended by Sasuke's words. "After what I did for you guys!"

"Tch." Sasuke rolled his eyes at Suigetsu but said nothing else.

"When did Shisui-sensei got here?" Naruto asked, just taking note of his teacher's appearance.

"…" Sasuke lifted his head to see his distant cousin waving at him and the others with that go-easy smile of his. "Where in Kami's name have you been?"

"Protecting the Bridge Master, that is, of course, our mission, silly~" Shisui stuck out tongue out at his very unamused genin team.

"He accidentally sat on animal crap and needed a change of clothing." Shikamaru deadpanned, he ignored the older Jonin that is shooting him glares as he continued on with the new details of the ever-changing mission. "From this point on, both teams are to work as a uni…yes Suigetsu?"

"Will we get a raise?"

"Maybe." Shikamaru shrugged, not knowing the answer. "Shisui's team is tasked with protecting the Bridge Builder and helping him finish the bridge. As for Zabuza's team…"

"Protecting the midget and doing his dirty work. Which includes taking out the Bridge Builder." Zabuza continued. "Both of our superiors took note of the situation and saw that it would work out better for the moron to be killed off than to continue on living. Both villages will have the Country of Wave as a neutral ground for both villages."

Naruto internally frowned, he crossed his arms over his chest and thought over what was just told to them all. "It sounds like you guys are just using Wave for your own reasons… Will things change under the care of both villages? What of the daimyo's of respective country… he still owes you a favor, doesn't he?"

"Yes."

"Of course." Naruto rolled his eyes, he fell backward with a loud plop and turned his attention to the now darkening skies. He turned his head over to see Haku taking of Chojuro is now coming back to his senses with Suigetsu looking around nervously expecting his teammate to suddenly go on the offense. Looking over at the other side to see Choji fidgeting with his scarf, avoiding everyone's gazes and Sasuke is just… oh now… he looks like he's gone quiet again. "Oi! Teme!"

Sasuke took in a deep breath, he turned his attention over to Naruto to see him laying down on the grass, his attention on him. "What?"

"You okay? You're acting moody again. It would be too much of a drag if you are…" Naruto shot him a grin, causing the Uchiha's nose to scrunch up. Sasuke only shook his head before he punched Choji's arm, this caused the Akimichi's head to go straight up and gave him a glare. The two leaned in and began to whisper to each other, going over what had happened earlier to them. This prompted Naruto to softly smile at his friends, it was better off for Sasuke to get Choji out of his current funk than himself. At this point, he's still trying to reel in he contacted the Kyuubi… and lived.

Of course, Naruto knew of the beast since… that one event happened. This only seems to solidify everything that has ever happened to him. Would he have had the life he's having right now if he didn't have this thing inside of him? Would he have been treated better just being an average orphan like all the others? Would his parents still be alive if the Kyuubi never attacked the village?

"Hey, Naruto."

Naruto opened his eyes to see Shikamaru looking down at him. "Yeah?"

"Everyone left."

"…" Naruto quickly lifted his head up, groaning when he felt he twisted something. With a grumble, he realized it's nearly dark, his brother and himself are the only two there. "How long was I out?"

"An hour, give or take." Shikamaru shrugged, he sat down next to Naruto and laid back on the ground so the both of them are now looking up at the sky. "What happened?"

Naruto remained quiet, going over what he should and should not saw to Shikamaru. He finally spoke when it became dark enough for the stars to appear for them to see. "I saw the giant fuzzball."

"Ah."

"Ah? That's all you got to say? Ah."

Shikamaru kept his gaze forward as Naruto began to say everything that first came up in his mind and what he's been holding back for who knows how long.

The orphanage.

The mistreatment of nearly everyone in the village.

Not able to make friends for the longest time.

Birthdays are always filled with sorrow than joy.

How much hate the Nara Clan is receiving for taking him in.

Wondering if he'll ever have a _normal _life?

Shikamaru opened his eyes to see Naruto had sat up and continued, this time questioning his existence.

"I mean… come on! What would have happened to me if someone else had this… THING in them! Would I have grown up in the orphanage or adopted out like everyone else? No one wanted me! No one wants m-" Naruto's eyes widened when he suddenly felt arms wrap around him and pull him backward. He blinked several times to realize Shikamaru is hugging him tightly and has his head burying the crook of his neck. Unable to hold back, Naruto clung to him and openly sob. Since that night back at the Bridge Master's home, his grandson's questions made him rethink his perspective on his own personal life on why he's so cheerful despite having so many reasons to shut down and hate the world. Despite the fact he has a family, it doesn't erase the glares, the constant whispers, and the obvious blatant mistreatment. Remembering how his mother would rant to his father on how another store denied her service and the constant threats against the Nara Clan.

"Breath, Naruto… breath."

To be continued…

R/R.


	42. Chapter 42

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

"Let him rest, he needs it." Shikamaru silently shut the door to the room where Naruto is currently sleeping in. It was early in the morning and everyone, sans Naruto, had started to move about the small home. Choji and Sasuke looked at each other before they let out a sigh, it appeared their friend finally mentally broke last night. The two of them knew it was bound to happen, there was only so much someone could take in without it affecting them in some way and Naruto emotion's got the better of him. "You two are to help the Bridge Builder today. Shisui is planning on surveying the area around the town."

"What are you planning on doing?"

"I'm going to sneak around Gato's compound. With Zabuza and his team on our side, it would make things easier to do so." Shikamaru yawned, he walked passed his friends and headed downstairs. "Don't wake up him."

Choji and Sasuke watched Shikamaru disappear from sight before they looked back at each other with matching smirks. "Did you bring the markers?"

"Did you bring a camera?"

"Payback time."

-.-

Haku didn't like this, he didn't like this at all. Gato ordered them to permanently end his problem. Right now, they have no way to warn the Leaf Nin of this at this point in time without raising suspicion. It isn't helping with how Suigetsu is getting hyped up at the thought of going up against them and Chojuro… Haku saw him sharpen his weapons rather eerily so earlier that day. Who knows at this point.

Zabuza on the other hand, complete and utter giddiness. Either for the fact, they are going to fight against the Leaf Nin or just finally getting rid of Gato in general. It was clear the mission is coming to an end and it's now or never.

"If I don't end up dead by the end of this mission, I'm going to ask for a transfer…" Haku muttered under his breath before he got ready for the possible final confrontation.

-.-

'…I don't know if I should laugh or…' Inari and Tsunami ran through their minds as they watched Naruto kick the men that intruded into their home. The reason they are trying to figure out whether or not they should laugh at their current situation has to do with the fact Naruto has drawing marks all over his face. It made him look like a cross of a chibi fox and a clown. It was amusing to say the least, but that could be done later. Right now, he needed to get to the bridge to help his team. As for them…

"You to need to gather the villagers and head over to the bridge. Could you do that, Inari?" Naruto asked as he turned to face the other two conscious occupants of the small home. "We're going to need the help we could get to go up against Gato. I know I'm asking al-"

"I'll do it."

-.-

"You have to be…" Sasuke huffed out as he got trapped in mirror-like prison, cursing at himself for allowing himself to be caught off guard in such manner. He wasn't able to look through the openings of the ice mirrors to see where the others are located at. This wasn't good, it was just him and Choji currently at the bridge and everyone else is who knows where. Shisui-sensei was supposed to have showed up an hour ago, but he's still a no show. Choji is going up against Suigetsu and Chojuro is nowhere to be seen… so far. Considering a thick fog started to make its way through the area, it's making it hard to see. Naruto better wake up from his nap soon.

"Oi, Sasuke, what's going on?"

Sasuke slowly turned around and who he saw made his jaw drop, his eyebrow began to twitch uncontrollably. "WHAT IN KAMI'S NAME ARE YOU DOING HERE!"

"The boss is currently trying to locate Shisui-sensei and coming up with a plan to go up against our supposed enemy." 'Naruto' whispered to Sasuke, causing the young Uchiha to hit the clone. The clone looked mildly appalled before hitting the other back, this only caused a cycle of the both of them starting to brawl against each other. Haku watched on, wondering if this was just some ploy or if they are actually fighting against one another for whatever reason.

"Excuse me? Hello?"

"Shut it!"

-.-

Choji right eyebrow twitched, he could sense his teammates are fighting for some completely stupid reason. Oh, he's going to have a stern talking to once this fight is over. _If_ he survives that is, Suigetsu isn't giving him any sort of breathing room and at this point, he's going to run out of chakra. He had been doing the heavy lifting to help speed up the process of building the bridge and because of that, low on chakra and it heavily showed.

"Come on now, you could do better than that!" Suigetsu laughed aloud as he continued to swing his sword around and attacking Choji head-on. He may have to work alongside with the tree huggers, but it doesn't mean he's going to go easy on any of them. A fight is a fight for him, and he expects blood. "Fight me, Fatass!"

'Oh… it's on.' With fists clenched tight, teeth grinding together and a new fire building from within, Choji started to go on the offense causing Suigetsu to do the opposite. "You want a fight! I'll give you a fight! Multi-Size Technique!"

"…Is that the be-SHIT!"

"GET BACK HERE!"

"AHHHH!"

-.-

"That doesn't sound good…" Naruto muttered to himself when he heard a loud smash coming from the general area of the bridge. He looked around to see that Inari was doing his job of gathering up the villagers and to head over to said area mentioned before. Landing on top of a market's roof, to look around. So far, there is a suspicious dense fog that is slowly going towards the bridge... a shiver went up his spine as a familiar sense of dread filled within him. He slowly turned around and stand on another roof is Chojuro, pointing his weapon at him and his eyes completely deprived of emotion. "Not good at all..."

To be continued...


	43. Chapter 43

A Shadow's Touch

-.-

D/C: I own nothing.

-.-

It was times like this… Naruto wondered why his luck always seemed to waiver against him. Taking in a deep breath, the blonde ducked an upcoming attack that was aimed at his head. His jaw dropped as the sensation that fell over him as Chojuro's weapon turned into a pass of chakra in the shape of a massive sword. The amount of chakra that emitted from it caused Naruto to temporarily retreat to gain distance between him and Chojuro. He looked down at the worn-down village to see its occupants running towards the bridge with makeshift weapons in hand.

Naruto brow's furrowed, he knew talking to Chojuro in taking it easy on him as they were _supposed _to be on the same side was pointless. The bloodlust is taking over and the Uzumaki is on his own. Taking in a deep breath, Naruto made a hand sign and several clones of himself popped into existence. In a silent signal, all the Naruto's scattered off in seemingly random directions. "Runaway!"

Chojuro titled his head, watching as the original Naruto and his clones runoff. Many of them disappearing in the mist and from sight. He lifted Hiramekarei and placed it on his back before he took chase. He raised his hand to perform a hand seal himself, to cause the mist surrounding the village to become denser to make it easier for him to hunt down his target.

The need for blood is far greater than the mission.

-.-

Shikamaru easily slipped through Gato's compound, going around the area to get a better look at what exactly he and other others are dealing with. Gato's goons are primarily made up of hired goons that are easily enticed by easy cash. Nothing more, nothing less. Individuals that fell through the cracks or those that looked for an easy way to _earn _for a living. He recognized some of them from his bingo books, none of them were worth the paper their names and pictures were printed on.

It took less than thirty minutes for Shikamaru to find the rooms that held records, massive amounts of currency, gold, jewelry and so on, along with Gato's office. As he made his way through the compound, Shikamaru drew up a diagram of the place for later use. He did this as he hid in an air-conditioning shaft above Gato's office, listening in to the small man's next set of plan.

"No one is leaving the _bridge _alive. Even if those tree-huggers defeat Demon and his demon spawn, they'll be too weak to fight."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at that. He peeked through the vent to see Gato yelling out his plan to several of his goons. That plan does appear to be sound, it was just lacking several factors. For example, those tree-huggers and those demons are in cahoots, Konoha and Kiri are quickly catching up to him and it is only a matter of time before Gato gets killed for his actions. It was just a matter of time.

"Gato, we have a problem?"

"Out with it then!"

"We lost sight of the Leaf Jonin and Zabuza."

-.-

"Are you sure you want to continue on? Your genin are getting the crap beaten out of them."

Shisui pointed down towards the direction of where Suigetsu and Choji were fighting. Choji is chasing around Suigetsu, using his Human Bullet Tank jutsu. The Mist genin is currently running for his life as the massive human boulder-sized marble chased after him. "Your own genin is about to get the crap beaten out of him."

"Tch…" Zabuza tsked under his breath, he looked around the area and saw that Chojuro was no were in sight. "Where the hell did, he go…?"

"Who? Naruto?" Shisui asked.

"No, your brat is stuck in Haku's mirrors with the Uchiha."

"That's actually his clone…"

…

"Shit."

-.-

"Just because we have to work together, it does not mean I am going to hold back…"

Sasuke and 'Naruto' readied themselves for another barrage of senbon needles. At this point, it was a miracle the clone still hasn't dispersed itself considering how many needles it has on itself at this point. Right before the barrage started, the clone eyes widen as memories sank in. 'Shit…'

-.-

Chojuro didn't know if he had enough power to break through Haku's ice mirrors. They had attempted to do it several times in the past, but it never even made a scratch. Then again… every time they attempted this… he never felt this much bloodlust until right now… It has him grinning ravenously at the sight of Haku's mirror's, especially watching his future's prey getting crushed. The Uzumaki was crushed between his weapon and the mirror, he was flung through the air slamming against another mirror.

Sasuke felt the entire scene before he goes in slow motion. His felt his blood go cold at see Naruto being knocked out cold, blood oozing out of a head wound and his body riddled with other various types of wounds…

"Chojuro, what have you done! We are not supposed to kill them."

"…and?"

To be continued…


	44. An: CHECK MY PROFILE!

OKAY! I AM GOING TO CLEAR THE AIR!

CHECK MY PROFILE!

I AM THE ORIGINAL WRITERS OF ALL THE STORIES.

If some of you had checked the other accounts profiles, Unsung-Knight and Fanatic24, you'd see that I had planned to transfer the stories here. Hell, I have put up notices to it too.


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